Earlier this week, 27 countries released a joint statement in which they pledged to cooperate on holding countries accountable for offensive cyber campaigns, warning that “there must be consequences for bad behavior in cyberspace.” The countries want to address the status quo in which “state and non-state actors are using cyberspace increasingly as a platform for irresponsible behavior from which to target critical infrastructure and our citizens, undermine democracies and international institutions and organizations, and undercut fair competition in our global economy by stealing ideas when they cannot create them.”
The statement was signed by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Because the signatories do not include known cyber offenders like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, analysts are skeptical about the significance of the document.
Read more: 27 Countries Sign Pledge to Play Nice Online