Wrote in an essay for @TheEconomist that tyrannies like #Russia try to turn technology into a means to destabilise free societies.
More in the piece but here's a short 🧵on the four things to learn and four things to do to defend against cyber warfare. 1/
https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/04/17/kaja-kallas-says-ukraine-is-giving-the-free-world-a-masterclass-on-cyber-defence
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232122463780866
First, we need to understand that integrating cyber-warfare into regular warfare is now established practice.
We saw this from the early hours of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has also targeted comms and IT infrastructure similarly to energy infrastructure. 2/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232124531580929
Second, having a well-protected digital infrastructure is crucial.
#Ukraine’s digital backbone has enabled the state to keep delivering services online during the war.
Estonia is already working with Ukrainian partners to adapt its Diia app for our own citizens. 3/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232127513731072
Third, bad actors still sense they can do what they want in cyberspace.
There's Russia "DDoS diplomacy". The effects are minimal because we're prepared and the attackers aren't sophisticated.
But we also see malicious state-sponsored cyber groups become more active globally. 4/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232130349023235
So, what should democratic nations do?
First, we must all be prepared for cyber-warfare to continue even after the conventional war ends. We must all invest appropriately.
Our focus must be on giving our institutions and people the skills to cope in a high-risk environment. 6/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232136200028161
Second, we must step up our efforts in cyber capacity-building globally.
#Estonia has long shared its know-how.
A recent example is helping to set up a cyber competence hub in Latin America and the Caribbean, @LAC4_EUCN. 7/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232139069042689
Third, we must ensure accountability, also in cyberspace.
Russia wants to recast the world in its own image.
It just put forward a draft for a new cyber treaty at the UN. Let's not risk sleepwalking into negotiating new international rules with a war criminal. 8/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232142126628864
Finally, we must build connections beyond current institutional limitations.
Security for liberal democracies can no longer happen in silos.
We must set standards with those we can trust, especially as new tech like AI, 5G and quantum computing become realities. 9/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232144995491842
Fourth, the private sector has transformed its role during this war, and taken public-private partnership up a level in defence of digital infrastructure. There are great examples here.
But social-media platforms are not doing enough to prevent the spread of disinformation. 5/
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/kajakallas/status/1648232133410865153