Cyber Security in the French Republic

The French Republic (hereafter simply “France”) has granted increasing national priority to responding to the growth in number, intensity and sophistication of information and communication technology (ICT or “cyber”)-based threats, risks and vulnerabilities which can affect its security and stability. With a highly connected population, France champions a vision of the cyberspace as a space of freedom, exchange and growth. The development of France’s capacity and capabilities in relation to both leveraging and defending against cyber technologies has important implications for France both domestically and internationally. Domestically, France’s cyber security profits from a longstanding, highly centralized system of national governance, a system that has supported the rapid introduction of public and private measures for the protection of its critical information systems. As it continues to pursue a controlled and collectively governed cyberspace, how France approaches such issues will thus have important ramifications not only for its domestic peace, prosperity and security, but also for international trade, development and stability.