The Cybersecurity Tech Accord is proud today to launch our 2021-2022 Annual Report, highlighting our most impactful initiatives and partnerships from our fourth year in existence. We encourage you to download and review the full report and to see below for a letter from the Secretariat introducing the report and reflecting on the coalition’s efforts over the past year and the challenges we currently face. We are especially grateful to the many partners from across government, industry, and civil society that have made our work possible over the past year, and look forward to continued collaboration in year five!
Letter from the Secretariat
Since its launch in 2018, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord has worked to be the technology industry’s voice on matters of peace and security in cyberspace and to uphold a commitment to protect users and customers everywhere from evolving cyber threats. As cyberspace continues to emerge as a domain of conflict and competition between states, and criminal activity continues to grow online, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord sets the foundation for the industry’s engagement in global efforts to protect a safe and secure online world. Over the last four years, more than 150 technology companies globally have joined as signatories in this effort, committing to shared principles for industry responsibility– strong defense, no offense, capacity building, and collective action.
This past year again witnessed continued escalation in the scale and sophistication of malicious activity online committed by a wide range of actors. And beyond these trends, the tragic and unjustified war in Ukraine has ushered in a new age of cyber operations integrated with modern warfare. Cyberattacks have played a large role in the efforts to destabilize Ukraine since before the invasion started, and the conflict is now the first example of large-scale hybrid warfare. Unlike conventional military threats, responding to these cyberattacks has required unprecedented cooperation between government and the private sector, with many Cybersecurity Tech Accord signatories working to detect and defend Ukrainian infrastructure and data.
Against this backdrop, defending a rules-based and rights-respecting online world is more pressing than ever. The international community must act with appropriate urgency to this end, which will require cooperation across stakeholder groups. In the past year, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord has worked to advance this mission by providing guidance and input across diplomatic forums. This includes engaging in the United Nations (UN) dialogues on responsible state behavior online, leading a working group of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, and working with partners across industry, government, and civil society to improve cybersecurity practices and strengthen international expectations online.
Throughout this report, you will find examples of these efforts and the breadth of activity the Cybersecurity Tech Accord has engaged in over the past year to step up and take more responsibility as an industry for cybersecurity trends and challenges. We are grateful to the numerous partners from across stakeholder groups that are featured in this report who have helped drive this work over the past year. Looking ahead, we encourage others from the technology industry to join our efforts, and those from other stakeholder communities to review the contents of this report and consider additional ways we might cooperate towards a more peaceful and secure online world together.
As the world continues to grapple with new cyber threats and hybrid warfare, and with how to respond in order to bring greater security and stability to the digital domain, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord will continue to be a reliable and consistent advocate in support of developing meaningful solutions. We stand ready to provide expertise and advice on how to ensure technology is used for the peaceful purposes it was intended for.
Sincerely,
The Cybersecurity Tech Accord Secretariat
Read the report here: