Help from friends and countries with common interests is critical to the success of Washington’s new cyberpolicy, just as it is with any other national security policy. It is even more important in this instance, however, because cyberspace transcends borders and is not controlled by any single state. The US should encourage allies to name and shame China, which has undoubtedly hacked networks in their territory, too, and to do the same with other cyber-espionage aggressors.
A coalition could begin with just a handful of countries such as Britain, Australia, Germany, Canada, South Korea, and Japan. It could issue a public statement announcing agreed-upon principles. These allies could put in place a set of voluntary accountability and verification mechanisms to build trust and ensure compliance with the group’s basic principles.
The group could attract more members by offering expanded technical assistance to enhance countries’ cybersecurity. Creating such a group would lend US cyberefforts greater international legitimacy and motivate countries to work together against threats.
