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CYBERSECURITY ENDS
Ends are the objectives that a national cybersecurity strategy seeks to accomplish. Just
as national interests flow from national values, ends describe what a nation has to do to
support national interests in cyberspace. Thus, cybersecurity strategies help focus efforts
towards ensuring that cyberspace keeps a country secure and prosperous. As we see
below, nations do not regard cybersecurity as an end unto itself. Instead, cybersecurity is
a means to protecting the critical infrastructures that support core national interests.
7.1.1
Rationale for Ends Categories
Cybersecurity strategy documents often appear written by technical security specialists
for fellow specialists. In our experience, good cybersecurity strategies appeal to a broad
audience. In particular, the strategies help non-technical national policy makers visualise
and create a strategic narrative for cybersecurity. The narrative outlines an overarching
approach for advancing core national interests in cyberspace. To support this goal, we
recommend that countries assign cybersecurity ends the same titles as the core national
interest categories presented in Figure 7. We believe that that using common titles would
help planners see how cyber attacks affect their capacity to deliver national policy goals.
7.2
NATIONAL SECURITY
We should state from the outset that the ITU does not specialise in national security and
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national defence matters. The Union’s core mandate and expertise are in the technical
and development spheres. However, national security drives cybersecurity strategies
because military activities may threaten national political systems and spill over into
civilian computer systems dealing with economic, public health and safety matters. We
previously noted ITU Secretary-General Dr Touré’s concern that cyberspace is possible
theatre of war. Figure 9 below provides examples of how nations view the matter.
# STATE
NATIONAL SECURITY END
Australia
(2009)
Cybersecurity Policy Supporting National Security
The aim of the Australian Government’s cyber security policy is the
maintenance of a secure, resilient and trusted electronic operating
environment that supports Australia’s national security.
Canada
(2010)
Undermine National Security
Reliance on cyber technologies makes us more vulnerable to those who
attack our digital infrastructure to undermine our national security.
Estonia
(2008)
Aspect of National Security
Vulnerability of a society's information systems is an aspect of national
security in urgent need of serious appreciation.
Figure 9 – National Security Ends in Cybersecurity Strategies
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The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Resolution 130 (Rev. Guadalajara, 2010) resolved that ITU should focus resources
and programmes on areas of cybersecurity within its core mandate and expertise, notably the technical and development
spheres, and not national defence, national security. See http://www.itu.int/osg/csd/cybersecurity/WSIS/RESOLUTION_130.pdf
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