2. International peace and security in the digital domain More and more frequently, state actors employ digital resources for espionage, influencing and sabotage objectives as an integral part of their range of instruments to exert power, or in concrete conflict situations. There has also been an increase in the number of countries that are building offensive, military cyber capabilities. This threat has grown significantly in recent years and is a serious threat to international security. At an international level, there are strong divisions between various countries in the approach to the cyber domain. There are differences of opinion on the application of international law, norms of behaviour in cyberspace and the dependence on and access to digital resources. Moreover, the decentralised nature of the internet and the opportunities the internet provides for anonymous action impede the enforcement and supervision of agreements that have been made. Due in part to the fact that attribution is difficult in the cyber domain, such cyber operations can pose a threat to international legal order. The Netherlands should also have its own capabilities and instruments to be able to resolutely avert digital attacks on our national interests and – in extremis – to retaliate proportionately. OBJECTIVES • The Netherlands promotes the international legal order in the digital domain, including safeguarding human rights. • The Netherlands is able to respond immediately and appropriately, alone or as part of a coalition, to digital attacks by state actors and has offensive capabilities that contribute to deterrence. • The Netherlands contributes to the mitigation of cyber threats from criminals and state actors, by investing in the development of capabilities of the global cybersecurity chain. MEASURES o The Netherlands will bolster the application of international law in cyberspace, promote additional norms and build trust between states and other parties. The Netherlands continues to build and broaden the international coalition which subscribes to the vision of an open, free and secure internet. The Netherlands will do this by promoting the further interpretation and application of international law in the digital domain, for instance in the field of human rights, humanitarian law and the framework for combating cybercrime, and for the protection telecommunications and critical infrastructure. In addition, confidence building measures between states and the further development of norms will be encouraged. The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace has already made an important contribution to this. o The Netherlands will develop a broad strategic framework for responding to digital attacks. It will include all available instruments, including (public) attribution, deterrence, use of offensive capabilities and a broader response in the cyber domain. To this end, the Netherlands will strengthen the diplomatic and political response to disruptive or destructive cyber operations by state actors. The framework will be followed with a suitable range of instruments for a diplomatic response. This ties in with the cyber diplomacy network and the toolbox for diplomatic action in the event of cyber incidents developed by the European Union. The Netherlands played a leading role in this. A cyber secure Netherlands National Cyber Security Agenda | 23