The Foreign Service Journal, June 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2018 27 Against this sobering backdrop, the need for U.S. diplomacy, working in conjunction with other instruments of national power, is clear. Because cyberspace threats are almost always interna- tional, as is the technology itself, an unprecedented level of inter- national coordination, engagement and cooperation is required both to counter threats and to embrace and drive the economic and social opportunities that cyberspace offers. This diplomatic effort must also be cross-cutting because security, economic and human rights issues in cyberspace are often interdependent. A Pioneering Move To increase our focus and leadership on international cyber issues, the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues at the State Department was created in 2011, and I was asked to serve as the first coordinator. Located within the Secretary of State’s office, it was the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and it literally cre- ated and advanced a whole new area of foreign policy focus that did not exist before. More than 25 countries have since created similar offices in their foreign ministries, and there is an expand- ing web of engagement on issues including international security, deterrence, combatting cybercrime, cybersecurity, promoting human rights online and internet governance. Moreover, there is an increasing demand by countries to discuss cyber issues as part of high-level ministerial and leader dialogues. Although much progress was made in the last six years, the state of cyber diplomacy in the State Department is currently in flux. As an apparent part of a larger reorganization, my former office was downgraded in priority and structure, its future in doubt. This move, and the uncertainty it created, sent an unfor- tunate signal that the United States was abandoning its leader- ship role in this emerging area, both to the consternation of our partners and the delight of our adversaries. Fortunately, in an apparent response to congressional legisla- tion that would re-establish and strengthen my former office, the department announced in February its intention to create a new cyber bureau. That is a good step forward and hopefully a revised version of that plan will find favor with the new Secretary of State. But to be effective, such a bureau needs to be adequately resourced and placed in a cross-cutting reporting chain that accounts for all the issues in cyberspace. More than anything else, it needs to be made a clear priority of the department and the Secretary of State, something that was sadly lacking during the tenure of Rex Tillerson. In the following, I briefly discuss the core components of cyber diplomacy and offer some thoughts on the way forward in this area. What Is Cyber Diplomacy? Building Strategic Partnerships and Engaging Multilater- ally. Just as in other diplomatic endeavors, cyber diplomacy works by building strategic partnerships with other countries around the world to enhance collective action and cooperation against shared threats, assembling like-minded coalitions on vital policy issues, sharing information and national initiatives and confronting bad actors. During its first six years in operation, the Office of the Coor- dinator for Cyber Issues established numerous senior bilateral and multilateral partnerships and launched numerous “whole of government” cyber dialogues with countries around the world. These formal and informal dialogues discussed the full range of cyber issues and have translated into direct cooperation and common approaches in important multilateral venues. As we seek to advance common values, push back against repressive regimes and enhance collective action and deterrence, these partnerships need to be expanded and strengthened. Nearly every formal and informal multilateral and regional body is now, in some capacity, focusing on cyber issues. These include multiple parts of the United Nations (including the International Telecommunication Union and Office on Drugs and Crime), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organization of American States, the Group of 7 and the G-20. While these venues offer the opportunity for the United States and its partners to advance a common vision of cyberspace and implement important initiatives, they also pose a challenge, as nondemocratic countries try to use those same orga- nizations to advance their own very different views of cyberspace. So far, working with our partners, the private sector and civil society, we have generally been successful in advancing our agenda of an open and secure cyberspace and thwarting attempts by repressive regimes to impose state control over the internet or undermine security or human rights. Nevertheless, we are at an important moment; the debates and decisions made in these forums over the next several years will have a major impact on all of these issues for years to come. Enhancing Cooperation, Collective Action, Incident Response and Capacity Building. Diplomacy plays an impor- tant role in directly responding to specific cyberthreats and laying the groundwork for better cooperation and action against future threats. For example, using the network of counterparts we built with other countries, the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues used diplomatic demarches to seek the assistance of more than 20 countries when a persistent, Iranian-sponsored