Special envoy to Lille
“
The next pandemic will be digital
”: at the International Forum on Cybersecurity which is being held until Thursday in Lille, digital experts, from the public, private or military, are almost all unanimous. And pessimists. In the cyber space, crime and state rivalries are increasing at an exponential rate: + 255% compared to 2020, noted the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) for the first threat. As for the second, the Solarwinds or Microsoft Exchange attacks have demonstrated some of the capabilities of state actors, whether Russia or China. “
In the theater of Operation Barkhane in the Sahel, we recently observed an increase in attacks
", Declared the Minister of the Armies Florence Parly, Wednesday, to the FIC.
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“In the space of just three years, we have completely changed the paradigm. From the “new space of conflict”, we are today wondering about the existence of a “Cold War in cyberspace” ”
, she noted, citing the themes of her interventions at the FIC in 2018. and in 2021. The panorama it presents is worrying.
“Unlike the historic Cold War, which had its own de-escalation mechanisms intended to avoid a nuclear apocalypse scenario, a 'new cyber cold war' should it arise, whether it involves states or non-state actors, does would certainly not be governed by the same restraint, ”
she warned. "
There is no equivalent of the red phone of cyber.
Worse still, some players remain reluctant to set the rules of the game for confrontation in cyberspace.
We could therefore be faced with rapid and uncontrolled escalation situations, leading to unprecedented crises and unanticipated cascading effects,
”she added.
Last July, US President Joe Biden also warned of the risk that a next conventional war might be the result of a cyber attack.
1,900 cyber fighters by 2025
At the Cyber Command of the French army, we want to be less alarmist. Could France's adversaries deliberately seek to cause loss of life and major material damage through a cyber attack? "
I'm not sure,
" said General Geay de Montenon, deputy commander of ComCyber. No one would have an interest in escalation when cyber is the weapon of choice in conflicts below the threshold of war. The stake would be to show capacities without crossing the red line. "
Showing what you know how to do
" is already a means "
to bend the will of your opponent
", assures the general. But the risk of slippage exists.
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At the international level, discussions are skidding on the lack of will of states.
At the UN, the work of rival task forces on cyberspace regulation displays a facade and limited consensus.
Between the great powers, France and Europe would however like to take action to promote standards and rules of behavior.
Paris intends to bring the cyber subject to the agenda of the French Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2022. The Minister also announced the meeting of a forum of the 27 cybercommanders of the European Union.
As a sign that the threat is taken seriously, Florence Parly has also announced an additional effort in the cyber domain. "
Given the proliferation and seriousness of cyber attacks
", the ministry will further increase its recruitment policy. “
We aim to recruit nearly 1,900 cyber fighters by 2025, which will bring their number to around 5,000 by 2025
”, or 770 more than expected. 1,100 hires were initially planned. By going to the FIC, the Minister assumes her objective of recruiting agent in an area where competition with the private sector is severe.