US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday, October 25 the creation of a cybersecurity department and envoy, to strengthen US diplomacy in the face of these
"21st century challenges"
against a backdrop of increasing attacks by hackers close to rival countries.
"We are going to work with Congress to set up a new Cyberspace Office of Digital Policy"
within the State Department, he wrote in a message to staff obtained by AFP.
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This direction will eventually be led by an ambassador whose confirmation will have to be validated by a vote of the American Senate, and
"will focus on three key sectors: the security of international cyberspace, international digital policy, and digital freedom"
, specified the spokesman for American diplomacy, Ned Price, in front of the press.
Antony Blinken, who is due to deliver a speech Wednesday on this axis of
“modernization”
of Washington's foreign policy, also promised the appointment of a
“new special envoy for crucial and emerging technologies”
.
He reaffirmed his desire to build
"a State Department that is ready for the challenges of the 21st century"
.
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The world has entered
“into a fundamentally new era of international affairs, where the climate crisis, health and emerging technologies will increasingly be at the heart of joint initiatives with our allies and partners, but also of our competition with our rivals and opponents, ”
said Ned Price.
The announcements come as the United States has proven itself more than once in recent months to be vulnerable to increasing cyber attacks.
The computer giant Microsoft has thus warned that a group of Russian hackers, at the origin of a vast computer attack in the United States last year, was leading a new offensive against American and European organizations.