Cyber-attacks are increasingly a threat to national security and the proliferation of offensive cyber capabilities among both state and private actors is high. As national governments are trying to keep up with the pace of innovation they are investing more and more in armament programs for the cyber space. Experts speak of a new arms race between world powers when referring to the ever-growing states expenses for cyber capabilities. What could be done about that? In this policy brief Björn Boening and Paul-Jasper Dittrich argue that in order to slow down the arms race in cyber space and increase mutual trust governments would have to agree on a diplomatic process with the aim to establish a mechanism towards arms control and confidence-building measures for the cyber space.
Paul-Jasper Dittrich is Advisor at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, he formally worked for the Jacques Delors Centre.