Cyberspace touches every corner of our economies and daily lives, and has opened up a new world of information, commerce and opportunities for interaction. Making the most of its benefits - as well as tackling its challenges - is by necessity a collective undertaking. But what does collaboration at a global scale look like in practice?

More than 60 diplomats, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, were given an insight into the future of global Cyberspace collaboration at the recent ‘Meet GCF’ event, held in Geneva, 23 January. 

The centerpiece of the event was a panel discussion around the theme ‘Securing Tomorrow - the imperative of collaboration in Cyberspace,’ that featured a range of prominent cyber leaders and experts: Yuhyan Park of the DQ Institute, Giacomo Persi-Paoli of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), Akshay Joshi of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Centre for Cybersecurity, and Jovan Kurbalija of the DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform. 

“Collaboration within and among societies is as old as humanity - we just have to adapt it to the Cyberspace era,” said Kurbalija. “The cost of not collaborating in Cyberspace is more attacks, more risks, more fear, more instability.” 

The panel discussed the need to address the implications of AI, as well as rising cyber inequity - i.e. disparities in cyber capacity and resilience - among organizations globally.

“One of the most striking findings from the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook for 2024 was growing cyber inequity. In 2022, there was a healthy middle of organizations with minimal viable cyber resilience and this year that number has dropped by almost 30%,” said Joshi. 

Joshi said that the two key factors fueling rising levels of cyber inequity are the growing talent gap in cybersecurity, and the increased threat levels that come with more interconnected economies.  

By 2025, over half of major cyber incidents will be caused by a lack of talent or human error, according to a study by Gartner, a research firm. The growing talent gap in the cybersecurity field - which currently stands at a shortage of 3.4 million professionals globally - means organizations are struggling to recruit the people they need to ensure their resilience. At the same time, the increased threat levels that come with more interconnected economies are raising the bar for what is needed for organizations to protect themselves.  

While larger organizations continue to make gains in resilience, SMEs - who according to the World Bank represent 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide - have seen a significant decline in this area. 

Addressing the disparity holistically requires effective public-private sector collaboration. While smaller organizations need to prioritize cybersecurity more in their business strategies, larger, more resilient entities must collaborate with their smaller partners to secure critical industries and supply chains. 

Attendees at Meet GCF Geneva, the first in a series of events planned for different cities around the world throughout the year, also received a presentation on the GCF Institute. The Institute, which will be headquartered in Riyadh, was established in 2023 to unite experts and decision makers across sectors and geographies to collaborate, share knowledge and expertise, and develop initiatives to benefit people and communities globally. 

“We are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. And that is why it is important that dialogue happens at the collective level and the global level,” said Persi-Paoli. “What the international community really needs is a coalition of institutes, like the GCF Institute, to bring the negotiations and discussions happening at the multilateral level to our regional and local contexts. States agreed on a framework of responsible state behavior in Cyberspace in 2015, but if we really want to foster engagement and resilience, we need to translate those discussions to local and regional contexts.” 

The strong consensus among the panelists is that in the face of the new dynamics created by emerging technologies, as well as a widening divide in cyber resilience, our collective security and prosperity relies on our ability to unite across borders, sectors, and disciplines. Only by pooling our knowledge, resources, and initiatives can we ensure a secure Cyberspace that benefits all of humanity.

“There is enough wisdom, enough knowledge, enough educational materials,” said Park. “What we are currently lacking is greater awareness and understanding of how we can work together for the next generation.”