On November 10, 2021, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris re-established the nation’s presence on the international stage by formally announcing the country’s support of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. This initiative, first issued in 2018, is a collaborative effort to enhance cybersecurity around the globe that 79 nations have already endorsed.
The Paris Call contains nine principles designed to enhance cybersecurity through multinational cooperation. These include the following:
- Protecting infrastructure and individuals
- Guarding against acts that jeopardize internet availability
- Safeguarding the electoral process
- Defending intellectual property
- Preventing the spread of malware and other criminal practices
- Overall enhancement of digital services, products, and processes
- Bolstering cyber hygiene
- Thwarting non-state actors’ attempts to hack
- Promoting international cyber norms and practices.
Joining in with this collaborative effort sends a message to the world that the United States is committed to robust cybersecurity and safe internet for all citizens of the globe. To implement these tenets, Vice President Harris stated that the U.S. would work with governments, private companies, and civil society to promote cooperation, cyber hygiene, stability, and accountability.
The United States’ decision to hoist the banner of the Paris Call comes at a crucial juncture. In an era when rogue terrorist groups and even state-sponsored bad actors are wreaking havoc on corporate, institutional, and small business systems in countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, stakeholders are choosing to band together in solidarity. By promoting a mutual commitment to stability that holds criminals responsible for their actions, the Paris initiative may prove to be the world’s first practical and unified cybersecurity plan.