I
n 2009, the Centre for Economic Policy Research published a 100-page collection
of essays on the rise of trade barriers and “murky protectionism” following the
financial crisis.
1
The word “technology” appears only once in that report. Informa-
tion technology has often been seen as a huge success story in global trade, but its
rapid diffusion has introduced new risks. Modern economies, developed and develop-
ing, are increasingly reliant on their IT-supported infrastructure for almost every as-
pect of daily life. Yet, as the headlines attest, this infrastructure is less than perfectly
secure, and the rapidly evolving threat landscape exposes the dependent societies to
dramatic risks. The interdependence of systems and institutions means that a secu-
rity failure can have dire consequences.
Governments around the world have begun to develop strategies to protect
themselves against cyber threats while trying to promote the benefits of a cyber-
enabled world. NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence has identified
over 50 countries that have published a cybersecurity strategy “defining what
security means to their future national and economic security initiatives.”
2
Scholars
have identified common themes across most declared strategies, indicating that the
generalized risks faced by all of us are not that different.
3
1 Baldwin, Richard, and Simon Evenett. The Collapse of Global Trade, Murky Protectionism and the
Crisis: Recommendations for the G20. CEPR (2009).
2 Klimberg, Alexander (ed). "National Cyber Security Framework Manual.” NATO CCD COE Publications.
(December 2012). http://www.ccdcoe.org/publications/books/NationalCyberSecurityFrameworkManual.
pdf
3 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Cybersecurity Policy Making at a Turning
Point. (2012). http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/cybersecurity%20policy%20making.pdf
Allan A. Friedman
is a fellow in Governance
Studies and research
director of the Center
for Technology
Innovation at the
Brookings Institution.
INTRODUCTION
Cybersecurity and Trade:
National Policies, Global and Local Consequences
Allan A. Friedman
September 2013
