Cybersecurity Alliances: Applying Mutual Defense Treaties to Combat Cyber Threats

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15 May 2024

You can jump to any part of the United States International Cyberspace & Digital Policy Strategy here. This part is 30 of 38.

Line of Effort 5: Affirm Application of Mutual Defense Treaties with Certain Allies to the Cyber Domain

In line with the long-standing U.S. recognition that existing international law applies in cyberspace, obligations under treaties and other international agreements may apply in cyberspace. Over the past several years, the United States and certain allies have made public statements affirming the application in cyberspace of obligations in their respective mutual defense treaties, including the 1951 Security Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States (ANZUS) (2011); the North Atlantic Treaty (2014); the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (2019); and the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea (2023). The Departments of State and Defense will continue to work together with allies to engage in pre-contingency planning and to raise awareness further with alliance partners that existing mutual defense treaties may apply in cyberspace and that cyberattacks rising to the level of an armed attack may trigger mutual defense obligations under such treaties.

Figure 5. The Second International Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit November 2022; Vice President Kamala Harris center left and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger center right with leaders from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Ukraine, and the European Union. (U.S. Department of State photo.)

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This post was originally published on May 6, 2024, by the U.S Department of State