Security News > 2021 > June > NATO summit communiqué compares repeat cyberattacks to armed attacks – and stops short of saying 'one-in, all-in' rule will always apply

A communiqué issued at the conclusion of the NATO summit has called for China to observe the laws of cyberspace, and set out new standards by which members of the alliance will consider cyberattacks.

The document treats both Russia and China as threats.

Russia earns 63 mentions and is labelled as "Aggressive." China is mentioned ten times, and its behaviour is described as "Assertive" and "Presenting systemic challenges." The document vows to engage China to defend Alliance security interests, referring specifically to China's cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and actions in the space domain, among others.

One day earlier, the G7 issued the Carbis Bay G7 Summit Communiqué calling upon Russia to "Identify, disrupt, and hold to account those within its borders who conduct ransomware attacks, abuse virtual currency to launder ransoms, and other cybercrimes." The G7 communique also called out China for human rights violations, specifically those related to Xinjiang and the Uyghur population and freedom violations in Hong Kong.

Director of China's Central Commission Office for Foreign Affairs, Yang Jiechi, denied the accusations of human rights violations over the phone to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, claiming that "Some anti-China forces are trying to stir up one after another sinister waves to smear China."

China's not the only country unhappy with some details of this weekend's multilateral summit.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/06/15/nato_final_communique_cyber_policy/