“so big it does my head in” ★ 14.10.11

The unnamed Economist author shares her notes of a prep-conference for the upcoming cyber sec conference in London next month.

A “senior” participant remarked:

“It is so big it does my head in.”

But why? The author notes:

“Because this stuff is all mashed up. The interconnectedness of cyberspace breaks down borders and distinctions around which societies and states are organised.

It mashes up people and geography. …

Cyber mashes up functions. …

Cyber mashes up the trivial and the critical. …

It mashes up weapons. …

Finally, the internet mashes up state and private … “

Release often, release early:

By definition we need international co-operation. … So we should start with something small and build out. I see it as a quilt, a patchwork…  The role of NGOs, think-tank and private experts in sensitising governments, without it seeming a form of electronic imperialism, is important.

The role of states:

Whatever the threat, it seems to me that the private sector will be involved in almost all responses. One working group made the point that “knowledge implies more responsibility”.

Indeed, indeed. Operationally, cyber security rests on those who control the components that make up the internet.

In any case, it is hard to translate rules and practices of war. Two examples: – Is private industry ready to be the warfighter? – How do you put red crosses on hospitals and orphanages? Do we have to put them on separate networks, ie, create a “dot.humanitarian” domain? Here we start to move into polders. Should we create “dot.secure” areas? People are willing to give up a lot of privacy in social networking. It seems to me that they would be wiling to do it for security.