Hira Bahadur Thapa

As technology begins to dominate our world, the issue of its responsible use has become urgent more than ever. Recent incidents of hacking in the US and Russia attests to the fact that some regulations should be in place to rein on irresponsible use of technology. Such measures need cooperation on international scale to make sure that the interests of all societies around the world could be well taken care of. The issue of responsible use of technology can hardly be undermined in today’s hyper-connected world technology. Digitally enabled services are fundamental for businesses to operate and provide the capabilities so many of us rely upon in our everyday lives.

Additionally, technology and data are critical components to deal with life-threatening problems like climate change. Their benefits go beyond that. They are needed to address other major global issues including health care, financial inclusion, and opportunity. These opportunities exist because of the remarkable power of data and the infrastructure that comprise our modern digital ecosystem.
If the period of last one year and a half when the world was under the grip of COVID-19 pandemic is any guide, there was unprecedented use of technology that facilitated our daily lives not only in the deliveries of essential food items but also helped millions of students around the globe in learning academic skills through virtual classes.

Cyberspace
But in reality technology was embraced by economies and businesses even before the pandemic imposed some unseen restrictions on our ways of living for health reasons. Cyberspace, an example of modern technology, had become one of the most important connectors between countries and entrepreneurs alike, putting tools, resources and scalability in reach for all. In resolving some of the major global problems like climate change, economic inequality and fostering diversity, and driving innovation and efficiencies secure cross-border data flows were being leveraged, which is technology’s boon.

With more data being created than before in the past two years alone, an estimated 90 per cent of data on the internet was created. Thus it shows the rapidity of data use during the pandemic. Moreover, the services quickly outpaced goods as the primary unit of trade. This trend is indicative of the growing significance of technology and digitally enabled services. In harnessing the potentialities of technology the role of trust is important. Once this trust erodes cyberspace loses its significance, which is created mainly to democratise knowledge and opportunity. Besides, cyberspace is aimed at promoting accessibility and collaboration.

The use of technology is not limited to a particular area rather it has been used comprehensively. In the recent Foreign Affairs piece, professor Ian Bremmer elaborates how digital power will reshape the global order. How social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple, and Google played roles in punishing the rioters involved in US Capitol storming in January by blocking their access to platforms is one of the examples to prove the power of digital ecosystem. Of late, cyberspace is coming under increasing strain as some countries and criminal actors too are exploiting its potentialities for hostile intentions.

Like we say in our current battle against the pandemic that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Similarly, in cyberspace where one is vulnerable, all are vulnerable. This is why this field necessitates our collaborative efforts. No single government, technology company, financial institution or even industry sector can effectively prevent the intrusion into digital ecosystem on its own in a world where we are so closely connected. As per one study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, global losses from cybercrime were more than $ 1 trillion last year alone. Woefully, this figure is projected to increase by fivefold annually in the immediate years to come.

Cybercrime is not limited to economic losses only. The attacks in cyber field also degrade trust and stability in the technologies, information and institutions that impact so massively on our daily lives. It is beyond doubt that cybersecurity has become an urgent issue to be addressed and the international community should take up the challenge of disarming cyberspace. Considering the frequencies, scale and pervasiveness cyber incidents of Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General has rightly warned that cyberattacks have been undermining trust and encouraging countries to adopt offensive postures for the hostile use of cyberspace.
Ironically, digital technologies drive novel concepts for perpetrating hostile and malicious action while facilitating and accelerating economic and societal developments. They have the potentialities of creating new risks related to weapons technology and radically change arms balances. Thus they increase prospects of traditional armed conflict and seriously upset nuclear stability. There is greater risk as networked warfare opens the possibility for hackers to use cyber means to obstruct nuclear command and control systems. In such situation the third party can also harm if it harbors malicious intent.

Regulation
The history of multilateral initiatives in the field of nonproliferation demonstrates that efforts are concentrated either on regulating or prohibiting the use of weapons. These weapons are both nuclear and nonnuclear. While new technological progress has brought unimaginable threats to the societies, our focus so far in the area of information and communications technologies has been laid on regulating the behaviour of states.

Regulation of technologies has rarely been prioritised though in recent times advanced countries including the US have started debating about prospective legislation to limit freedom the technological giants like Facebook, among others, in order to protect societies from likely hostile use of technology. Undoubtedly, cybersecurity is one of the fundamental parts of international security. Therefore, states need to shoulder the primary responsibility of ensuring it. In the meantime other stakeholders, including the private sector should also join hands with states in securing cyberspace so that digital peace can be preserved.

(Thapa was Foreign Relations Advisor to the Prime Minister from 2008-09. thapahira17@gmail.com)