Cyberdiplomacy

The world has been sleep-walking into cyber chaos. The spread of misinformation via social media and the theft of data and intellectual property, along with regular cyberattacks, threaten the fabric of modern societies. All the while, the Internet of Things increases the vulnerability of computer systems, including those controlling critical infrastructure. What can be done to tackle these problems? Does diplomacy offer ways of managing security and containing conflict online?

In this provocative book, Shaun Riordan shows how traditional diplomatic skills and mindsets can be combined with new technologies to bring order and enhance international cooperation. He explains what cyberdiplomacy means for diplomats, foreign services and corporations and explores how it can be applied to issues such as internet governance, cybersecurity, cybercrime and information warfare. Cyberspace, he argues, is too important to leave to technicians. Using the vital tools offered by cyberdiplomacy, we can reduce the escalation and proliferation of cyberconflicts by proactively promoting negotiation and collaboration online.

Preface vi

1 Introduction 1

2 The Diplomat in Cyberspace 17

3 Regulating Cyberspace 32

4 Mitigating Cyberconflict 55

5 Business and Cyberdiplomacy 78

6 Algorithms and Internet Companies 95

7 Conclusion Building Diplomacy Online 105

Notes 119

Index 127

‘An indispensable survival guide to the next frontier for diplomacy. Riordan has issued a vital wake-up call about the perils that lie ahead if we do not marshal a collective response to the potential anarchic battle for cyber territory.’
Tom Fletcher CMG, professor, former ambassador, and bestselling author of The Naked Diplomat

‘A timely and important book that extends our understanding of the role of digital technology in diplomacy, demonstrating not only how digital tools are used in diplomacy but also how diplomacy must cope with the – sometimes problematic – consequences of the use of these tools in cyberspace.’
Corneliu Bjola, University of Oxford

Shaun Riordan is Director of the Department of Diplomacy and Cyber Diplomacy at EIIS, senior visiting fellow at the Clingendael Institute, and a former British diplomat.