Brave New World: Challenges in International Cybersecurity Strategy and the Need for Centralized Governance

In the past three decades, the Internet and related data system technologies have revolutionized nearly every aspect of daily life, making the word "cyberspace" a household term. Cyberspace, the field in which these technologies operate, is characterized by global reach and unlimited potential in terms of storage and communication. Billions of people worldwide use the Internet in their daily lives, and that number is only predicted to grow. Businesses, governments, and individuals increasingly depend on the Internet to store large amounts of information in these data systems.

Unfortunately, as the use and types of uses of the Internet and data systems grow, so do potential security risks. In the last few years, cybercrime has become a growing problem, affecting all types of Internet users and costing the world economy billions of dollars each year. Recognizing the global scope of these issues, the international community developed a series of conventions and strategies to respond to cyberthreats. This Comment discusses the current state of international cybersecurity regulation by noting gaps and conflicts in the current regulatory regime.

This Comment then discusses the most pressing concerns giving rise to the need for centralized regulation. Finally, this Comment recommends the creation of a global regulatory agency tasked with the development and enforcement of a coherent international cybersecurity regime.