Problem:
One of the major threats and landscapes of warfare is related to the cyber world. More and more state and non-state actors continue to leverage the remote and expansive capabilities associated with technology in order to conduct reconnaissance and offensive cyber operations either in isolation or as part of a larger effort. When looking at state actors, the coalition of BRICK-A countries (Belarus, Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, and Afghanistan) has encouraged the US and its allies to work collaboratively together with several publications, such as the National Counterintelligence Strategy highlighting the importance of lateral and vertical collaboration across regions and industries.
Some of the biggest differences between the US and its allies, such as the EU, is in regards to privacy and data security. In his book, "Click Here to Kill Everybody," cryptography specialist Bruce Schneier opens up about how the NSA were some of the biggest advocates for the incorporation of backdoors and weaker encryption algorithms in order to allow easier collection of data in the pursuit of national security (Schneier 2018). Similarly, in her book This is How They Tell Me The World Ends, journalist Nicole Perlroth highlights how the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have attempted to use pressure to encourage cooperations to similarly allow law enforcement access to personal devices and systems, such as Apple iOS, in the conduct of operations. However, the EU has maintained, and continues to maintain, high regulations concerning privacy in its citizens allowing researchers, such as Dutch researcher Bert-Jaap Koops, to analyze and critique current technologies and practices against an established privacy framework to support growth in accordance with agreed upon standards (Koop 2013). This notation is important because the cyberspace serves as both the target field for cybercrime as well as the accessory for other criminal actions - as the US has historically taken an "ends justify the means" approach in order to solve issues concerning "national security," those loopholes can be further exploited, as evidenced by the Salt Typhoon breach of US communication channels. These differences can also shape the perception of "threats" and, therefore, appropriate response to such threats - while outright cybercrime and abuse of computer systems are classified as threats, US government entities and organizations must balance states rights, individual freedom, strategic goals, and centralization of authority whereas language such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation creates a standard language that would, no doubt, frame conversations around both the identification and management of threats. Need Assignment Help?
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