Rational Cyber-Thought: A Trend?

In my recent April 11 post reporting on a U.S. Government study that contradicted elements of histrionic cyber-fear-mongering (http://mbplrcbd.blogspot.com/2013/04/gao-no-cyber-related-incidents.html), I concluded with some esoteric thoughts on what would really be necessary to better ensure cyber-security, in the U.S., and globally:

I reminded folks that cyber-concerns and challenges are very real and very global and that they affect us all and will only be managed through the development of global standards, disciplines and norms of behavior.    

I highlighted that industry can do its part in terms of ensuring the quality, integrity and security of processes and products via the establishment of state-of-the-art disciplines, standards and assessment criteria.

And then, adding that none of that would mean squat if governments don't own up to their own share of the challenge, I called for State-to-State dialogue to define baseline cyber behavior, starting with something as simple as agreeing not to use information and communications technology (ICT) and networks to carry out hostile activities or to pose threats to international peace, security or commerce.

Well shit.  Guess what?

Commenting over the weekend on his discussions with Chinese Government authorities during his recent visit to China, Secretary of State Kerry on April 13 said:

“…We also discussed cyber security, and we agreed there also that we will create an immediate working group because cyber security affects everybody. It affects airplanes in the sky, trains on their tracks. It affects the flow of water through dams. It affects transportation networks, power plants. It affects the financial sector, banks, financial transactions. Every aspect of nations in modern times are affected by use of cyber networking, and obviously all of us, every nation, has an interest in protecting its people, protecting its rights, protecting its infrastructure. And so we are going to work immediately on an accelerated basis on cyber.”

Earlier in the day, China's official Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Minister Wang Yi as telling Kerry in their meeting that China and the United States should make joint efforts to safeguard cyberspace. Cyberspace should be an area where the two countries can increase mutual trust and cooperation, Wang told Kerry, according to Xinhua.   Good stuff, regardless whether he really means “mutual trust and cooperation” or “common cause and defense” (check out my year-old March 28, 2012 post which suggested that the cooperation announced this weekend was an almost certain eventuality - http://mbplrcbd.blogspot.hk/2012/03/mad-about-cyber-security.htm).

As a result of the talks, both sides agreed on the need for cooperation and, per Secretary Kerry, “So we will now have a working group that will start immediately to prepare for talks in the week of July 8th in what is called the S&ED, the Security and Economic Development Dialogue that takes place between China and the United States.

So let’s get on with it already. 

And, while we’re at it: Perhaps the two Government could muzzle their respective xenophobes and call off whatever protectionist global-market destroying policies they may have cooking.  

In the case of the U.S., that latter point is a very specific reference to the clever little “notify and negotiate” competition-killing traps wrapped into approval/pending approval of T-Mobile/MetroPCS and Softbank/Sprint (please review http://mbplrcbd.blogspot.com/2013/04/when-worlds-blog-posts-and-head-fakes.html for further detail on such shenanigans).