RUSI participates in International Conference on Cyber Conflict

During the event, the Institute convened a dedicated workshop on the subject of ‘Responsible Cyber Operations: Unpacking Principles and Mechanisms’. The event brought together experts and representatives from NATO Member States, the European Union and allied nations in order to discuss principles guiding responsible cyber operations.

The objective of this workshop was to foster a dialogue on what responsible cyber operations are from a national perspective, map experiences and perspectives on responsible cyber operations and identify convergent and/or distinct approaches towards them.

RUSI’s representatives shared some of the preliminary findings of the organisation’s ongoing research on responsible cyber operations with participants. Subsequent discussions and breakout groups further informed RUSI’s work on how countries have sought to develop and operationalise their views on what guides responsible action in conducting cyber operations.

This work is part of a multi-year project designed to map practical understandings of responsible cyber behaviour. As part of this programme, in September 2023 RUSI launched the Global Partnership for Responsible Cyber Behaviour, itself a platform for research-led cross-regional dialogues on the matter.

Expansion of cyber commands

Reflecting on the workshop, Louise Marie Hurel (RUSI’s cyber team lead on responsible cyber behaviour) stated: “At the NATO Summit in July 2024, members of the Alliance agreed to establish a new NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre to support allies in the use of cyber space as an operational domain. The NATO announcement and the expansion of cyber commands across different regions shows that there’s a growing appetite from nation states to build their cyber capabilities.”

Hurel added: “The question now is whether this appetite is followed by a dialogue on principles and procedures for allies and others to act responsibly when conducting cyber operations and exchange views on these matters. That’s precisely the aim of our work.”

Cyber Research Group 

RUSI’s own Cyber Research Group takes a global approach to its research, examining UK and international strategic responses to cyber. The team leverages the broader experience of RUSI staff and Associate Fellows and has fostered a growing network of cyber experts from both the public and private sectors and academia.

Its research agenda is structured around the following themes: cyber strategy, cyber resilience, cyber threats and offensive cyber. The team pursues different aspects of these themes, depending upon policy priorities at any given time.

Current research projects examine the implementation of the UK’s 2022 National Cyber Strategy, offensive cyber operations, technology and national security in the context of the ‘Net Zero’ environmental transition, cyber insurance and ransomware, responsible cyber power and, last but not least, cyber capacity building.

*Further information is available online at www.rusi.org