Communications of the ACM
ITU Head: Cyberwar Could Be 'Worse Than Tsunami'
"We're in a new world order today. When I see Google and China fighta company and a countryit's a new world order," says Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union.
Credit: David Meyer / ZDNet UK
There needs to be a global cybersecurity peace treaty to avert the threat of international cyberwar, whose effects would be more devastating than a tsunami, says International Telecommunications Union Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure. He told a London roundtable that he had proposed such a pact this year, only to be challenged by opposition from industrialized countries.
The risks associated with cyberattacks have been on the rise as nations' energy and infrastructures become increasingly linked to the Internet. The United States established the U.S. Cyber Command last year in an attempt to fortify its offensive capabilities so that it could attack other nations' cyberinfrastructure.
Toure noted that cyberspace has no borders and criminals can carry out mischief in any territory. He acknowledged that the concept of a cyber peace treaty is an ideal rather than an achievable goal, but said he would settle for a "common code of conduct against cybercrime" in which each country would pledge to ensure its citizenry are connected to the Internet rather than denied access. The code also would mandate that nations commit to not attacking another country first.
From ZDNet UK
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