UN Security Council

UN Security Council

Topic: B

Cyberterrorism

Chad

Approximately 3 billion people now have online access, and that number is only growing following the UNHRC’s unanimous declaration of Internet access as a human right in their Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression (General Assembly1). Of those 3 billion users, approximately 46% have been victims of cybercrime over the past 12 months. To carry out approximately 1.5 billion cyberattacks each year, criminals have used over 6.5 million unique domains. Unfortunately, only a few were detected with seed software. Cyberterrorism, or “the intentional use of computer, networks, and public internet to cause destruction and harm for personal objectives” (Global Mobile Internet Penetration2), has become a real threat, as “almost all governments of the UN Member States have been attacked between 2011 and 2012 at various levels, from defacement to DDoS, from phishing to data theft” (Global Mobile Internet Penetration2). As the threat of cyberattack grows for both the UN and the world’s population, concerns have escalated in the Security Council and preventive measures are being taken. In these past three years alone, INTERPOL has delivered a Cybercrime Complex, the EU has built a cybercrime center within the EUROPOL structure, the African and Arab Conventions on Cybersecurity and Combating Information Technology Offences were held, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative were formed, and FIRST, OIC CERT, GCC CERT, APC CERT, and other incident response organizations were enacted.

In African countries, the twenty-first century has introduced the Internet in small numbers among citizens. Only a quarter of a million people, or about 2% of Chad have available access to the internet at this moment (Telecommunications in Chad4), however Cyberterrorism still poses a threat. Currently, Chad has no censorship or monitoring of Internet usage, and therefore unfortunately lack the institutions and mechanisms to prevent the terrorism from occurring. Cyberthreats have escalated in Sub-Saharan countries over the past few years, targeting government trade and defense establishments coming under attack. “These attacks need proactive measures by African governments and collective effort in policies. As we all know, Internet has no geographical boundaries” (Post Navigation5). The key challenges African countries currently face is the lack of awareness from users and the appropriate national organizational structures to deal with cyber incidents. Chad has yet to speak on the subject matter due to the low percentage of its population currently facing the dangers of Cyberwarfare, and currently has no restrictions on internet use. However, seeing the threats to other African countries that have seen Cyberviolence troubles the Chad government. Siyabonga Cwele, the minister of state security in South Africa, comments, “But the main cybersecurity threats in South Africa are not related to national security at all: they are criminal and, more specifically, related to fraud. Phishing is the most common form of attack, with the distribution of malware, such as worms, being the second-biggest problem” (Minister Speech3). Chad fully endorses any UN funded efforts to prevent Cyberterrorism, including government monitoring of Internet usage and the funding of cybercrime detection agencies and complexes, but currently has no plan nor probable cause to wage Cyber war on plausible attackers as Internet usage is so low.

1. AsGlobalMobileInternetPenetration, IncreasesTheCybercrimeAnd, and CyberterrorismVectorI.Global Cybercrime Has an Estimated Cost of US$ 110 Billion per Year (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

2. "General Assembly." Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 7.2 (2007): 331-33. Web.

3. "Minister Cwele Speech at the 4th Ordinary Session of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries in Harare, 10 July 2014." Minister Cwele Speech at the 4th Ordinary Session of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries in Harare, 10 July 2014. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

4. "Post Navigation." Contador Harrison. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

5. "Telecommunications in Chad." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

Jordan

We the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have growing concerns in terms of how the internet is monitored to halt terrorist activities. Our nation understands that in a post 9-11 world that the need for international security is much higher. We have also been experiencing attacks as well due to our position among our fellow Middle Eastern nations. It is true our nation houses many people of not only Palestinian descent but also Syrian, and because of such sensitive people under our protection we must be able to offer safe refuge to those crossing our borders while also monitoring those who enter in order to better protect our base population. Jordan has also experienced a number of suicide bombings (most notably one in 2005 in our capital) and attacks on our people based on our compliance with the United States. These attacks based on such banal reasons are halting the growth of our blossoming nation.

We praise the Saudi Arabia Intelligence Services and their conference in Riyadh for their deliberations over the new reaches the internet can provide to malicious people. As Arab nations we must not stand for any act of violence done by our people. The internet can now be used to access millions of people, steal data, and propose detrimental attacks. As Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz expressed at this conference, “[there is a need for] immediate action to cull the rampant growth” (Zeid Nasser). Much of our censorship used to protect our people is being curbed by the internet and the quickness at which people can reproduce hostile information (Responses to Cyber Terrorism, 40).

The major concern we now face is how new measures decided upon the security of the internet will encompass us and our people and not only the larger nations of Europe and the United States. Iraqi groups have blatantly singled us out and made clear their disdain for our politics. We now fear for our own people that, with our growing access to the internet, they may not be safe. Jordan requires that we open access to the inter webs and allow for all nations to access terrorist based information in order to help our people in a swifter, faster manner – we have all experienced breaches, hackings, leaks, and planned out acts of terror. Let us not wait for another one - if we act here today and open the search histories to all nations we can act quickly and more efficiently on all fronts in order to stop this bastion of fear and death before it sprouts into a greater threat.

Center of Excellence Defence Against Terror. Responses to Cyber Terrorism. N.p.: IOS Press, 2008. Print. Nato Science for Peace and Security 34.

"Jordan Profile." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <

Nasser, Zeid. "Cyber-terror Makes a Comeback in the News." Zeid Nasser's Tech & Media Blog. Blogspot, 11 Dec. 2007. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <

Luxembourg

The misuse of cyberspace for terrorist purposes is not subject to specific control but is part of the general measures against terrorism in Luxembourg. Under a scheme of deployment of existing human and material resources to match the scale of the problem as observed in Luxembourg, a unit of the Grand-Ducal Criminal Investigation Department (Police Judiciaries), the "new technologies section", was specially assigned the task of cybercrime prevention. This unit’s only purpose is to fight cyber terrorism, and it is given the right to access any information that is needed without mentioning any investigations are going. Cyber terrorism is punished by law in Luxembourg under the law of 12 August 2003; these provisions define an act of terrorism as an offence which, owing to its nature or context, can be seriously damaging to a country or an international organization or body. Also other data processing area are criminalized under the Article 509 of the Luxembourg Penal code. The punishments start from a minimum of 3 years to a death sentence. Luxembourg even had a cyber-security. Even though Luxembourg has all this regulations there has not been any cyber-terrorism crime detected in the country itself.

As of now, there are not any solutions proposed or any other extended actions that need to be taken on the national level. As of the international level, we can have a World cyber-terrorism police commissioner under the supervision of the major participating countries in the UN, with a pledged oath that the committee will never use its power to spy or ruin the privacy of the people, and if doubted by the UN representatives the committee will be overthrown after a vote and all the workers would be tried internationally with the crime of terrorism and treason. The purpose for the committee would be to protect the world from cyber-terrorism and protects people’s privacy and world stability.

Work Cited

• Corren, Michael. "Experts: Cyber-crime bigger threat than cyber-terro." Cnn.com. Cable news network, 24 Jan. 2005. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <
• Council of Europe. Cyberterrorism - the Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes. N.p.: Council of Europe, 2008. Print.

United Kingdom

The introduction of the World Wide Web has been one of the most important and beneficial inventions in human history. It has broken down trade barriers, allowed growth, and has connected people in a way not even imaginable a few mere decades ago. The internet has been used as a way to project what was an indistinct voice in the world to the spotlight of international attention. The outreach is all encompassing with all nations depending on the web and other cyber technology for commerce and national intelligence. However, this digital world is under constant attacks from hackers and radical groups who seek to interrupt the global process without leaving the comfort of their chairs’. Like all threats to security, economy and liberty, it is the job of the United Nations to respond to and prevent such attacks from occurring.

The United Kingdom is heavily dependent on the use of digital materials to conduct its daily affairs. Therefore, it is no surprise that attacks and terror to this infrastructure is treated with absolute seriousness. In 2010, National Security Strategy viewed cyber-attacks as a Tier 1 concern and set aside over £650 million to help create a defense. The United Kingdom is proud of its commitment to cyber security and recommends that the United Nations take the same strength of commitment. Funds should be set aside and cooperation between more protected countries and nations new to the Web should exist to ensure a strong and uniform response plan for the threat of cyber-attacks. By agreeing by standards and regulations about the use of cyberspace, similar to the ones agreed upon at the London Conference on Cyberspace, the international community can define, identify and respond to cyber- attacks in a clear and systematic way. With the joint community of nations agreeing upon similar standards, the funds can be allocated to less prosperous nations for use in education and equipment for use in encryption. The goal is ultimately for the United Nations to work in concurrence with one another to deny a safe haven for criminals in cyber space.

Cyber- attacks are unfortunately a guarantee in the Information Age even with the necessary knowledge and equipment. That’s why it is critical to establish communications between nations about any possible threats to the cyber security of the world as a whole. Naturally, the UK hopes that countries will view this strategy less as an infringement to national sovereignty and more as an open forum on cyber security. By use of this open forum, nations can request internationally accredited cyber specialist, a group of skilled computer engineers that can help establish a stronger and more secure digital system for nations that might be overwhelmed by the process. This international cooperation can extend to convicted cyber criminals facing an international court for crimes that spanned nations and aspects of life, providing a support network for all participating members Additionally, the United Kingdom recommends a program adopted in the nation where individual users and businesses alike can report threats to an easily accessible department dealing with cyber security. By this strategy, users still have all the liberties and rights to cyberspace that they experience now, but with the security of knowing that they can report any problem they face to the government with convenience. It is the hope of the United Kingdom that the Web can be used as a source of commerce, intelligence and pleasure by all the members of the world with every nation more at ease about the threat of cyberterrorism.

Australia

As a result of the Arab Spring in 2010, the Middle East has become a land characterized by rebellions and revolutions. Notable among these is the uprising in Syria, a bloody conflict which has pit Alawite leader Bashar al-Assad against a Sunni majority, the people of Syria. As of April 2014, 190,000 Syrians have died from the conflict and 6.5 million have been displaced. In order to restore peace in Syria, it is not only the United Nations Security Council’s privilege but its duty to “...investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security” (Article 34). Whether this means providing humanitarian aid to the refugees or engaging in military action against Syria, UNSC is prepared to do what it must to prevent the conflict from worsening.

Australia believes that action against Assad is necessary to protect the Syrians. Concerning Australia’s opinions about Assad, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd proclaimed, “We cannot stand by and watch this violence continue to unfold… I underlined that the Assad regime had lost its legitimacy when it started deploying arms against its own people and that it was time for Assad to leave.” In addition to speaking out against Assad, Australia decisively acted on the behalf of the Syrian people. In March 2011, Australia imposed sanctions on key figures of the Assad regime and refused to sell weapons to them . Three months later, Australia was also one of the first countries to request Assad’s trial at the International Criminal Court. Australia’s actions are a testimony to their opinions: they believe in supporting the people in Syria and are willing to intervene with actions and words. Like most other developed countries, Australia stands for the people because of both their personal convictions and the main tenets advocated by the UN. As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person” (Article 3); according to Australia, the Syrian people deserve the same.

It is UNSC’s job to preserve security around the world. In regards to the conflict in Syria, it is their job to prevent a hostile government from using violence against their people. Although Australia hasn’t formally sent troops to support the resistance, we intend to utilize both diplomacy and economic sanctions to help oust Assad’s regime. Australia has already done much to help extinguish the conflict in Syria, and we still intend to do more for the welfare of the Syrian people in the future. As of now, Australia hopes for an end of conflict in Syria, and a restoration of peace and prosperity in a place ridden with sorrow and destruction.

France

In France, being one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a leading contributor in the UN, there are high expectations on how national security issues are handled. In the recent years, the level of sophistication and intensity of cyber attacks have occurred increasingly among most developing countries, including France. This gradual development has urged other countries to reinforce their resilience to cyber attacks and establish national security strategies to combat cyber related terrorist activity. France has strived to improve national security policies by creating thoroughly developed security plans following the cyber security scare of 2008. France elaborately reviewed its defence and national security policy of 2008 (White Paper). After review, new priorities identified itself. The preventing and responding to cyber attack was identified as one of the key priorities in organization of national security. The outcome of France's strategies have proved to be exemplary, in terms of cyber crime terrorism France is at a reliable state.

In 2006, France passed new counter-terrorism legislation for the purpose of terrorism-related investigations. This new legislation enabled the surveillance of communications and police access to communication data from telephone operators, Internet-service providers and Internet cafes. Following this legislation the Public Prosecutor v. Hicheur case developed. In August 2007, Belgian authorities received information from their French counterparts concerning the activities an identified terrorist plotting. This case illustrated how different forms of Internet technology could facilitate the preparation of acts of terrorism. After communications within and between organizations that promoted violent extremism were collected by France they responded to this cyber scandal with strengthening of it’s National Security and jailed the people involved. The Prosecution claimed that the content exchanged between the men/groups were in support of the jihadist network. As required under the French Criminal Code, the court found reliable evidence that provided intellectual support and direct logistical support to a clearly identified terrorist plan. France’s actions illustrated how investigative techniques could be used to compile the necessary evidence to successfully prosecute terrorist use of the Internet.