US Leads International Effort to Protect Civil Society Groups From Cyberattacks

The United States and several allies issued a joint statement on March 30, forming an alliance dedicated to supporting groups vulnerable to cyberattacks and other forms of repression from authoritarian governments. The nations joining the U.S. in the Strategic Dialogue on Cybersecurity of Civil Society Under Threat of Transnational Repression are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The alliance committed to sharing information regarding initiatives to support the cybersecurity of high-risk organizations such as human rights groups and journalists. Each member is also tasked with providing insights on threats such communities are facing and finding avenues to collaborate on cybersecurity development, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Thursday.

The Strategic Dialogue builds upon a new CISA program aimed at defending civil society organizations from cyberattacks by U.S. adversaries. According to Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a Wash100 awardee, democratic countries should work together to ensure that human rights are maintained as new technologies are introduced.