U.S. Cyber Diplomacy in an Era of Growing Threats

Cyberattacks and commercial espionage and ransomware used by foreign governments, used by terrorists, used by criminals, are a serious threat to our U.S. national security. They are also a threat to our economic interests around the globe. As the intelligence community made clear in the 2017 Worldwide Threat Assessment: "Our adversaries are becoming more adept at using cyberspace to threaten our interests and advance their own. And despite improving our cyber defenses, nearly all information, communication networks, and systems will be at risk for years." Cyber threats have real-world impact. In 2015, Chinese hackers stole the personnel files of 20 million current and former Federal employees in a massive data breach. Last year 2017], North Korean hackers crippled hospitals in the United Kingdom, and also halted international shipping in India. Russia exploits cyberspace to attack its neighbors, including Estonia and Ukraine, and to attempt to undermine Western democracies, including the United States. Our military does have some very unique offensive and defensive capabilities in cyberspace, and other agencies have as well] to protect our critical infrastructure. But it is our diplomats who work with our allies and partners to develop a common response to these threats, and they do that while engaging our adversaries to make clear that cyberattacks resulting in real-world consequences will be viewed by us as a use of force.