Symposium on India’s Cyber Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges

Global discourse on cyber security has become increasingly fragmented since the inability of the UN GGE 2017 to arrive at a consensus report. Various initiatives, comprised both of state and civil society actors have attempted to pick up the pieces and galvanize consensus despite core ideological differences between states on the nature of cyberspace itself. CIS has undertaken some preliminary research in this space- in the form of a paper on the norms formulation process that was published by the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) and a set of briefs on the substantive aspect of norms and standards of International Law that could drive India’s strategy in relation to the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UN-GGE) process.

The standards of international law combined with strategic considerations drive a nation's approach to any norms formulation process. With the cyber norms formulation efforts in a state of flux, India needs to advocate a coherent position that is in sync with the standards of international law while also furthering India's strategic agenda as a key player in the international arena. Further, norms, saliencies and pragmatic strategic considerations would also drive the formulation of a credible cyber doctrine that underpins the approach undertaken by various regulatory bodies, including the military, sectoral regulators and the private sector.

Exchange of ideas between government officials, private sector actors and research organisations will help formulate India’s strategic agenda. This symposium endeavours to delve into certain thorny questions in the norms formulation process and explore how India should approach these issues-both while framing domestic policy and engaging globally.

RSVP: [email protected]

Concept Note

 Agenda:

1:00pm to 2:00pm: Scene Setting - Keynote Address by Amb. Asoke Mukerji. and Presentation of Research by CIS

2:00pm to 3:00pm: Lunch

3:00pm to 4:30pm: Moderated Panel Discussion - Speakers: Geetha Hariharan (CCG), Amb. Asoke Mukerji, Parminder Singh (IT for Change), Madhulika Srikumar (ORF)

4:30pm to 4.50pm: Tea

4:50pm to 6:00pm:  Extended Comments and Questions from Audience