Cybersecurity and Cyberthreats – From Consultation to Action
Panel Discussion with AIES Director Michael Zinkanell
Apr 26, 2023 / Vienna / EU Affairs / Indo-Pacific / Global Affairs
Digital threats are constantly growing as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns have increased in volume and intensity. At the occasion of the recent publication of the volume “Cybersecurity Policy in the EU and South Korea from Consultation to Action”, a panel of contributors and experts has discussed the cybersecurity challenges in Europe and Asia, posed by Russia, North Korea, and China respectively. Against this background, the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Austria organised a panel discussion with high-level speakers on 26 April at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna titled “Cybersecurity and Cyberthreats – from Consultation to Action: The Case of the EU and South Korea”.
Martina Schubert, Deputy Director of the Vienna School of International Studies welcomed the participants joining online and in person, followed by opening remarks by Mr Ham Sang- Wook, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Austria. AIES Director Michael Zinkanell moderated the panel discussion with Mr Hong Kyu-Dok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Hungary, Mr Michael Reiterer Former EU-Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Distinguished Professor, Brussels School of Governance, and Mr Alexander Klimburg, Cybersecurity Expert affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Studies and the AIES.
During the discussion the speakers elaborated the Russian cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns on Ukraine and their spill-over effects on EU Member States as well as the seriousness of cyberthreats posed by North Korea. The experts agreed that there is the need for enhanced cooperation between EU Member States and like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region, especially the Republic of Korea, in detecting and countering emerging cyberthreats, which pose a significant challenge to international peace and security.
