Civil-military relations and international military cooperation in cyber security: Common challenges & state practices across Asia and Europe

While many states are developing national cyber security strategies, the exact role and responsibilities of the armed forces in cyberspace often remain unclear. Although attention has been devoted to acquiring specific technical capacities and expertise to act in cyberspace, decision-making processes, doctrines for deployment, and procedures generally lack systematic analysis. The first part of this article therefore focuses on whether militaries in their own national context contribute to defensive cyber security tasks. Common national challenges are identified, as are approaches that potentially improve cyber security through better civil-military cooperation. The article then examines the organisational structures in place across Asia and Europe to enable better international military cooperation for cyber related incidents. It outlines how international cooperation might assist a better exchange of information to increase cyber defence effectiveness, specifically between Asia and Europe.