Cybercrime, National Security, and Internet Governance

This chapter looks into the economic impacts of cybercrime and challenges that persist in the political domain before addressing the transnational character and nature of cybercrimes. The US approach to cyber governance is primarily security driven. It focuses on limiting high-tech crime in the economic realm, such as data theft, along with the prevention of cyberattacks on government departments and critical infrastructure. The combination of the events and concerns reveals that while there is a growing exigency to evolve international norms in cyberspace and promote responsible state practices in this domain, there remains a potentially hidden danger in allowing states greater access to the digital realm of national security. In its 2012 white paper, China presented its concept of cyber sovereignty as part of its Internet governance that became a foundation of the Chinese Communist Party’s state management.