The Embassy of Switzerland in the USA works with local partners on a number of global challenges. One of those partners is the Stimson Center; a think tank that promotes international security and shared prosperity through applied research and independent analysis, global engagement, and policy innovation. Stimson’s project on cyber accountability is supported by a grant from the International Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

The project is based on Stimson’s assessment that malicious cyber operations are omnipresent and current approaches to “cyber deterrence” fall short. To help deter cyber incidents and foster accountability, already accepted international norms and law need to be effectively implemented. Stimson’s project is investigating accountability mechanisms, formal and informal, that have been employed to address a diverse range of non-cyber threats and issues. These come from the areas of arms control and non-proliferation, outer space, the environment, insurance, human rights and regional approaches, among others. The project kick-off workshop took place at the Embassy of Switzerland in the USA. The project report will be presented in the first half of 2024.

Stimson’s team is looking for lessons learned and good practice that would be instructive to efforts to close accountability gaps in cyberspace, notably with respect to the implementation of international law and voluntary norms. By applying lessons from other domestic and international efforts, the project will provide policymakers with both legal and technical expertise on accountability in the cyber domain, as well as perspectives from government, civil society, and industry on potential paths to better address cyber threats. 

Since 2021, Stimson has convened 11 webinars in partnership with the Washington Foreign Law Society as part of a Cyber Accountability webinar series. The series has invited experts to speak about topics such as attribution, the applicability of international law and role of norms, cyber in the context of armed conflict and relevant UN processes, among others. Stimson representatives have been actively contributing to multilateral cyber security processes such as the UN’s Open-ended Working Group, UN cybercrime treaty process, the Global Partnership on Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace and the Paris Call.