American expert: We have to ask ourselves if we think strategically about our digital future

Experts should wonder whether they are strategically thinking about their countries' digital future and whether that is resistant to attacks, US expert Melissa Hathaway said on Friday at the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum.

Melissa Hathaway, a leading expert in cyberspace policy and cyber security, spoke at a panel of the southeastern Mamaia forum about the implications of cyber-attacks on military operations.

We need to develop capabilities and resources at national level to defend against cyber threats, she said, mentioning critical infrastructures such as electricity, telecoms, finance, transport infrastructure. These are infrastructure systems that are prone to weapon attacks that we must strategically address and use the force and regulations of the European Union, but also the knowledge and education that should exclude applications that we always say we will remedy in the future. We cannot afford to do that, she pointed out.

Hathaway also mentioned the digital dimension of everyday life, showing that our countries are digital countries, our citizens using online applications are digital, our armies are digital, our critical infrastructures are digital, and in this respect we have to evaluate risks; we have to ask ourselves whether we are strategically thinking about our digital future and if that is a resilient one, she said.

The expert questioned how the action against cyber threats and also talked about a current cyber conflict. She said she thin we are in a cyber-war with insurgent operations, a small intensity conflict on the verge of a strategic surprise.