Journal: CSS Cyberdefense Reports

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Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich

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2018 - 201972020 - 202517
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Publications 1 - 10 of 24
  • Cyber Rapid Response Teams: Structure, Organization, and Use Cases
    Item type: Report
    Grossman, Taylor (2023)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    Cyber rapid response teams are becoming an increasingly prevalent form of incident response and mitigation at the national and supranational level. Nation-states and international organizations have begun building out rapid response teams to efficiently manage incidents and leverage expertise across borders. Over the past two decades, NATO and the EU have each developed rapid response teams to manage and mitigate the rise in cyberattacks, including incidents that cut across borders and affect international partners. Yet, many questions remain regarding a team’s composition, organizational and legal structures, as well as their overall efficacy.
  • The Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape during the Coronavirus Crisis
    Item type: Report
    Cordey, Sean (2020)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    In light of the societal changes wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, this report examines the impact this crisis has had on the general cybersecurity threat landscape during the first two quarters of 2020. This report highlights that the coronavirus pandemic has generated a set of remarkable and psycho-societal, technical, and logistical-economic circumstances upon which malicious actors have capitalized. The analysis of the COVID-19-related cyber threats conducted for this report shows an overarching degree of continuity in terms of the types of attacks, threats actors, and the volume of attacks. Adversarial behavior has, however, changed and evolved in terms of scale, sophistication, targets, and motivation. Based on these findings, this report has developed a range of recommendations for addressing key cybersecurity implications of the pandemic.
  • Study on the Use of Reserve Forces in Military Cybersecurity
    Item type: Report
    Baezner, Marie (2020)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This CSS Cyberdefense Project Report looks at the structure, organization, development, and challenges of reserve forces in military cybersecurity in Estonia, Finland, France, Israel, Switzerland and the US. The study shows that while all countries mentioned are developing cyber units based on their reserve forces, their development remains a work in progress. Furthermore, the use of such forces is contextually dependent and country specific. Meaning, it is difficult for one country to successfully copy the reserve model of another country. Finally, cyber reserves are a feasible way to close the cybersecurity workforce gap for the armed forces. Cyber reserves enable armed forces to create a large pool of experts at low cost and attract experts who would not have applied to active-duty military job.
  • From Ransomware to Ransom War
    Item type: Report
    Smeets, Max Willem Eline (2024)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This report is based on chapter one of Max Smeets’ book titled “Ransom War: How Cyber Crime became a Threat to National Security,” forthcoming with Oxford University Press and Hurst Publishers. Historically, discussions on cyber conflict have primarily centered on the involvement of state-sponsored or affiliated groups. Yet, the growing prominence of criminal actors – specifically, ransomware groups – now demands a shift in attention. Ransomware, a type of malicious activity where hackers lock access to files or systems until a ransom is paid, increasingly threatens both citizen safety and global stability. In 2022, the majority of the U.K’s government’s crisis management “Cobra” meetings were convened in response to ransomware incidents rather than other national security emergencies. According to Sami Khoury, the head of the Canadian Center for Cyber Security, the threat from nation-states remains significant but cybercrime, of which ransomware is the most disruptive form, is “the number one cyber threat activity affecting Canadians.” The Swiss National Cybersecurity Centre warns that ransomware could pose an “existential threat” to businesses and government agencies. This report discusses significant milestones in the development of ransomware, and what turned them into a significant threat to human and national security.
  • Terra Calling: Defending and Securing the Space Economy
    Item type: Report
    Soesanto, Stefan (2021)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This report aims to provide a deeper understanding of the fundamental cybersecurity and -defense challenges pertaining to the space economy. It outlines the broad contours of what constitutes the space economy and takes a closer look at the problems on the terrestrial surface, space-based assets, and the area of up- and downlinks. Furthermore, this report dives into two case studies pertaining to NASA and the European global navigation satellite system Galileo, and disentangles the cyber threat landscape by examining public reporting on the most referenced satellite hacking incidents in terms of its veracity and fact-based representation. Finally, it provides several recommendations for the Swiss government and a brief horizon scan highlighting three future trends.
  • National Cybersecurity and Cyberdefense Policy Snapshots: Updated Collection 2
    Item type: Report
    Cordey, Sean; Dewar, Robert S.; Baezner, Marie; et al. (2019)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This volume examines the cybersecurity policies and architecture of Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Kingdom. By doing so, it sheds light on how cyberdefense is embedded in these states’ cybersecurity postures. The authors find that these countries’ approaches have notable differences, including in their understanding of cybersecurity. However, the text also highlights common trends, including a move toward civilian leadership and oversight as well as the centralization of control and implementation responsibilities for cybersecurity and cyberdefense.
  • A Digital Army: Synergies on the Battlefield and the Development of Cyber-Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA)
    Item type: Report
    Soesanto, Stefan (2021)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This report focuses on cyber electromagnetic activities (CEMA), which is a doctrinal concept that was introduced by the US Army sometime around 2009/2010 to connect both domains at the hip. The report dives into the origins of CEMA within the US Army by contextualizing geopolitical developments and Army doctrinal changes over time; and explains why and how the US Army and UK MoD adopted CEMA. It then highlights potential CEMA tactics in the field and concludes with final thoughts on whether emulating CEMA is an option that ought to be adopted by other armed forces.
  • Japan’s National Cybersecurity and Defense Posture
    Item type: Report
    Soesanto, Stefan (2020)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This CSS Cyberdefense Report by Stefan Soesanto provides the reader with a better understanding of the evolution of Japan's cybersecurity and defense policy since the year 2000. In addition to the policy areas in which the Japanese government is active in protecting cyberspace, the report explains the security-related events that have triggered the need for government involvement. In addition, the report analyzes the key strategic documents that are still shaping Japanese government behavior and thinking on cybersecurity, and examines how cybersecurity is organized in Japan (ministries, agencies, councils and more). It should be noted that this study only deals with organizations and instruments in which the Japanese government itself is involved. Therefore, it does not fully describe the developments and dynamics of the private sector in Japan.
  • Cyber Influence Operations: An Overview and Comparative Analysis
    Item type: Report
    Cordey, Sean (2019)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    Influence operations are nothing new, but the dawn of the information age has seen such activities migrate towards cyberspace. In this publication, Sean Cordey addresses this development by looking at the concept and use of cyber influence operations (CIO), including a comparative analysis of American and Russian CIOs. His findings include 1) that discussion and definition around CIO still lacks coherence and overlaps with other concepts; 2) cyberspace has opened up the potential use of influence operations to everyone; and 3) that a state’s CIO toolbox is dependent on context and objectives.
  • Estonia’s National Cybersecurity and Cyberdefense Posture
    Item type: Report
    Kohler, Kevin (2020)
    CSS Cyberdefense Reports
    This CSS Cyberdefense Report by Kevin Kohler aims to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the evolutionary path that Estonia’s national cybersecurity and cyberdefense policy has taken since 1991. To do so, the report outlines the trigger events, the major policy documents, and the current organizational structure. It should be noted that this report is non-exhaustive and therefore, there are numerous sectoral developments, specialized regulations, and smaller governmental organizations that this study does not specifically touch upon.
Publications 1 - 10 of 24