A Reliable Global Cyber Power: Cyberspace and Germany's National Security Strategy

Abstract

Germany's major allies have declared their roles in shaping cyberspace. The United States sees itself as a democratic, values-driven cyber power ready to impose substantial costs on adversaries engaged in nefarious conduct. The United Kingdom strives to be a responsible cyber power that eschews reckless behavior. France aims to operate as a stabilizing power that counters a destructive Russia and other malicious actors. But what kind of cyber power is Germany to be? As it draws up its first national security strategy, the country can rectify its lack of vision and narrative for its domestic and international cyberspace efforts. This policy brief proposes that Germany espouse a sober focus on reliability that links its cyberspace strategy to those of its allies, thereby providing a vital anchor for Western cybersecurity. To do this, Germany should: Defend countries that look to it for support and build capacities to provide that assistance; Consistently promote strong and transparent cybersecurity to encourage partners abroad to adopt policies that do the same; More prominently declare that it has offensive cyber capabilities and that it would deploy them for defensive purposes in accordance with international law; Share offensive cyber capabilities with trusted partners, if requested, in crisis situations.