The United States plans to protect developing countries from external political interference.
The US State Department has announced a new cybersecurity strategy that aims to contain the digital influence of Russia and China in developing countries and counter their efforts to interfere in elections. The strategy was unveiled on Monday and presented at the RSA conference in San Francisco, one of the world's largest technology forums.
According to Nate Fick, the State Department's chief cyber diplomat, " the United States will constantly disclose the activities of hackers and propagandists trying to undermine the credibility of democracy in different countries."
The State Department's strategy lays the groundwork for cooperation with developing countries by offering an "affirmative vision" of cyberspace that rejects any digital interference. It builds on years of U.S. efforts to persuade its allies and partners not to use key communications technologies and software produced in authoritarian countries.
Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, stressed in his speech that the economies and democracies of different countries need cybersecurity to thrive. He noted that catastrophic ransomware attacks can paralyze the economy, and governments can use phone hacking programs to arrest dissidents.
For example, Costa Rica, an ally of the United States, experienced a devastating ransomware attack in 2022. In response, the United States allocated $ 25 million to recover from the attack, which affected the social security and finance agencies of the Costa Rican government. The country also followed the advice of the United States and refused to use Chinese technology in its 5G mobile networks, which caused dissatisfaction in Beijing.
At the same time, Blinken acknowledged that Chinese telecommunications companies, such as Huawei, continue to dominate the markets of some countries, which increases competition with providers from authoritarian states in the field of cloud computing technologies.
The US State Department has announced a new cybersecurity strategy that aims to contain the digital influence of Russia and China in developing countries and counter their efforts to interfere in elections. The strategy was unveiled on Monday and presented at the RSA conference in San Francisco, one of the world's largest technology forums.
According to Nate Fick, the State Department's chief cyber diplomat, " the United States will constantly disclose the activities of hackers and propagandists trying to undermine the credibility of democracy in different countries."
The State Department's strategy lays the groundwork for cooperation with developing countries by offering an "affirmative vision" of cyberspace that rejects any digital interference. It builds on years of U.S. efforts to persuade its allies and partners not to use key communications technologies and software produced in authoritarian countries.
Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, stressed in his speech that the economies and democracies of different countries need cybersecurity to thrive. He noted that catastrophic ransomware attacks can paralyze the economy, and governments can use phone hacking programs to arrest dissidents.
For example, Costa Rica, an ally of the United States, experienced a devastating ransomware attack in 2022. In response, the United States allocated $ 25 million to recover from the attack, which affected the social security and finance agencies of the Costa Rican government. The country also followed the advice of the United States and refused to use Chinese technology in its 5G mobile networks, which caused dissatisfaction in Beijing.
At the same time, Blinken acknowledged that Chinese telecommunications companies, such as Huawei, continue to dominate the markets of some countries, which increases competition with providers from authoritarian states in the field of cloud computing technologies.
