Dr Sally Burt1, Professor Debi Ashenden, Associate Professor Tim Stevens, Dr Elena Steiner
1University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Dr Sally Burt is Lecturer in Cyber Security in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW. Her background is in the diplomatic history of US-China relations. Sally brings this expertise to research current Sino-US strategic competition. She also researches the diplomatic context of cyber relations, grey zone activities and the strategic use of information and political warfare. She also researches the use of cyber-enabled mechanisms to engage in international relations, such as deterrence and coercion, attribution, cyber governance and the conduct influence campaigns. Sally’s expertise in cyber security comes from this context.
Abstract:
This paper presents a research project that explores the role and importance cyber diplomacy with the Pacific Islands. As the Pacific Islands have become a focused battleground for influence in Sino-US strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia has renewed its interest in diplomatic relations with these small island states. Cyber security has also grown in importance as a channel for both economic growth and wellbeing as well as adversarial interventions by regional competitors. Understanding the connections between cyber and diplomacy and how best to serve the needs of Pacific Islands using these connections is important for Australia’s foreign relations in the region. This paper will argue that a deeper understanding of the needs of the Pacific Islands in terms of their cyber capability and security is needed. It is also important to understand how the Pacific Islands operate effectively to build infrastructure and security architecture for themselves. Climate change is an existential threat to these small island communities and being able to address human security issues is of far greater concern than serving geopolitical rivalries. Australia and the Pacific Islands have an opportunity for partnership on building cyber security, and human security derived from it, but for that partnership to be mutually beneficial the Pacific Island leaders need to be given agency in the process of design and implementation of cyber projects. The research project is focused on finding ways to achieve that codesign and to create the mutually beneficial outcomes both parties seek.