After the Munich Security Conference: Cyber Security

Cyber security has only slowly entered the public eye as an issue of far-reaching public and strategic importance in the early 2000s. Since then, many states have started to build and expand their cyber-space capacity. Today it is estimated that about 80 countries in the world have their own governmental cyber departments to address the enormous impact that the cyberspace has on all domains of public and private life, such as legislation, technology, politics, economic developments or even freedom of expression and information security – and the danger that comes from their vulnerability to cyberattacks. Despite international agreements to refrain from cyberattacks on civilian infrastructures during periods of peace, illegal activities of both states and non-governmental actors in this regard have significantly risen in recent years.