Asan Plenum

Session: Session 2
Date/Time: April 28, 2015 / 15:30-16:45

Moderator:
David Sanger, The New York Times

Speakers:
Van Jackson, Center for a New American Security
Park Nohyoung, Korea University
Michael Raska, Nanyang Technological University
Ren Lin, Chinese Academy of Social Science

 

Panel Description

The November 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment over the planned release of a film mocking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shocked many observers for its sheer audacity. Vowing retaliation against North Korea, the U.S. promised to deliver a ‘proportionate response.’ Shortly thereafter, North Korea’s internet mysteriously crashed. The tit-for-tat cyber attacks shone light on a new battlefield in which state and non-state actors alike launch major attacks against one another shrouded in secrecy and anonymity. Cyber attacks on South Korean civilian infrastructure, the rampant stealing of state and corporate secrets, and the sabotaging of Iran’s nuclear program are all taking place in a largely unregulated environment. When even small groups of hackers can devastate entire networks, cyber-security seems precarious at best. How can states protect, safeguard, and regulate the emerging cyberwar landscape?