Innovations in International Cyber Support: Comparing Approaches and Mechanisms for Cyber Capability Support

This paper proposes the concept of international cyber capability support (CCS) to describe a policy area covering the direct provision of cyber security products and services, including the deployment of rapid response teams, with immediate operational impacts intended to advance short-to-medium term objectives. This paper examines illustrative case studies of national cyber crises demonstrating the need for CCS deployment, emerging approaches to providing CCS, and the considerations which should inform how CCS is operationalized. A recent uptick in large-scale national cyber incidents has demonstrated a clear need for international capabilities to support crisis scenarios. Responses to date have been ad hoc and have exploited crisis conditions to short-circuit normally slow decision-making processes when providing international cyber support. As these incidents become business as usual, formal mechanisms to provide rapid capability responses are being developed. This paper discusses these points, drawing on high-level case studies of Ukraine and Costa Rica. Capability support outside of crises has also seen a marked increase, such as through personnel deployments as part of Hunt Forward Operations. As countries and international organizations look to establish CCS mechanisms, they need to consider their strategic objectives, implementation, thresholds for deployment and withdrawal, and the remit of their activities. Observing and learning from existing approaches is essential. Challenges for actors operationalizing CCS mechanisms include aligning activities with partners, creating an enabling and legitimating environment, and monitoring, measuring, and assessing initiatives. From these, this report recommends that actors create a strategic value-case, consider carefully how to integrate multiple stakeholders into CCS mechanisms, and take a comprehensive approach to international cyber support.