UK Ambassador Noble: Governments cannot Respond to cyber threats on their own

Governments cannot respond to cyber threats on their own, but all citizens need to take on the role they have in the online environment, British Ambassador in Bucharest Andrew Noble said on Tuesday.

Attending the conference "Building Blocks of Global Digitalisation: creating trust, deterrence & policy coordination through cyber diplomacy", the British diplomat said that the cyber environment is becoming a space of confrontation of the different worldviews and values.

He showed that evil-minded states are seeking greater sovereignty that does not respect national borders, citing the actions of countries such as Russia and China.

In this regard, the British ambassador spoke of the need for collective action to counter opponents.

Governments cannot respond to these threats alone. We need the help of society as a whole, namely companies, researchers, technology companies and ordinary citizens. In the UK, we have launched a directive aimed at ordinary citizens, so as to make sure that they know their individual role in national defence and are not just a vector of someone else's attack. Everyone has a role to play in shaping a safer, more prosperous and more open cyberspace, he said.

Andrew Noble also highlighted the need for rules to "govern" cyberspace.

The more we are, the stronger we are when it comes to holding those responsible for cyberattacks. It is important to shape the rules of common governance of the digital world. We will have an inclusive approach that holds in high esteem human rights and counteracts authoritarian tendencies and that will continue to promote the UN framework for responsible cyber-behavior, he went on to say. AGERPRES