On Nov. 1st, 2011, the BBC reported on how representatives from 60 nations have gathered to discuss cybercrime and cyberattacks at the London Conference on Cyberspace.  British Foreign Secretary William Hague convened the conference and urged a global co-ordinated response to issues of cybercrime, calling for "a pool of nations and cyberusers that agree with us about the need for norms of behaviour, and who want to seek a future cyberspace based on opportunity, freedom, innovation, human rights and partnership, between government, civil society and the private sector."  Despite these strong words, both Hague and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales urged caution in that the biggest threat to the internet is overreaching government policy, not cybercriminals.  UK Prime Minister David Cameron agreed, saying that "Governments must not use cyber security as an excuse for censorship."

Britain is using the conference as an impetus to develop a set of international "norms of acceptable behaviour" in cyberspace rather than a full treaty.  Mr Hague went on to say that cybersecurity is a "collective endeavour" and "the response does not lie in the hands of any one government or country but. . .needs to be a collective endeavour, involving all those who have a stake in cyberspace."

Of course, no one wanted to mention the cyber-elephant in the room (I'll prefix anything with cyber).  BBC noted that just a day before, Baroness Neville-Jones, the prime minister's special representative to business on cybersecurity, mentioned Russia and China – who are both attending the conference – as some of the worse culprits of cyberattacks. 

The BBC article can be found here.

On Nov. 1st, 2011, the BBC reported on how representatives from 60 nations have gathered to discuss cybercrime and cyberattacks at the London Conference on Cyberspace.  British Foreign Secretary William Hague convened the conference and urged a global co-ordinated response to issues of cybercrime, calling for "a pool of nations and cyberusers that agree with us about the need for norms of behaviour, and who want to seek a future cyberspace based on opportunity, freedom, innovation, human rights and partnership, between government, civil society and the private sector."  Despite these strong words, both Hague and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales urged caution in that the biggest threat to the internet is overreaching government policy, not cybercriminals.  UK Prime Minister David Cameron agreed, saying that "Governments must not use cyber security as an excuse for censorship."

Britain is using the conference as an impetus to develop a set of international "norms of acceptable behaviour" in cyberspace rather than a full treaty.  Mr Hague went on to say that cybersecurity is a "collective endeavour" and "the response does not lie in the hands of any one government or country but. . .needs to be a collective endeavour, involving all those who have a stake in cyberspace."

Of course, no one wanted to mention the cyber-elephant in the room (I'll prefix anything with cyber).  BBC noted that just a day before, Baroness Neville-Jones, the prime minister's special representative to business on cybersecurity, mentioned Russia and China – who are both attending the conference – as some of the worse culprits of cyberattacks. 

The BBC article can be found here.

On Nov. 1st, 2011, the BBC reported on how representatives from 60 nations have gathered to discuss cybercrime and cyberattacks at the London Conference on Cyberspace.  British Foreign Secretary William Hague convened the conference and urged a global co-ordinated response to issues of cybercrime, calling for "a pool of nations and cyberusers that agree with us about the need for norms of behaviour, and who want to seek a future cyberspace based on opportunity, freedom, innovation, human rights and partnership, between government, civil society and the private sector."  Despite these strong words, both Hague and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales urged caution in that the biggest threat to the internet is overreaching government policy, not cybercriminals.  UK Prime Minister David Cameron agreed, saying that "Governments must not use cyber security as an excuse for censorship."

Britain is using the conference as an impetus to develop a set of international "norms of acceptable behaviour" in cyberspace rather than a full treaty.  Mr Hague went on to say that cybersecurity is a "collective endeavour" and "the response does not lie in the hands of any one government or country but. . .needs to be a collective endeavour, involving all those who have a stake in cyberspace."

Of course, no one wanted to mention the cyber-elephant in the room (I'll prefix anything with cyber).  BBC noted that just a day before, Baroness Neville-Jones, the prime minister's special representative to business on cybersecurity, mentioned Russia and China – who are both attending the conference – as some of the worse culprits of cyberattacks. 

The BBC article can be found here.