[Geneva, Switzerland] – Reflecting the increasing importance of cross-border collaboration in addressing cybersecurity issues, the Internet Society today announced that it has joined the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC). The goal of this global body is to develop proposals for norms and policy initiatives to improve stability and security in cyberspace.
Olaf Kolkman, Chief Internet Technology Officer for the Internet Society, has been named commissioner to the GCSC. He joins 23 other Commissioners from government, industry, business, civil society and the technical community.
Commissioners of the GCSC include co-chairs Michael Chertoff, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Latha Redd, former Deputy National Security Adviser of India in addition to Willam Saito, Special Advisor to the Cabinet Office for the Government of Japan, Marietje Schaake, member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands and Virgilio Almeida, former Secretary for Information Technology Policy of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil.
“Traditionally, dialogues on cross-border topics such as international security have been the sole realm of diplomats. The GCSC is the first group of its kind to bring together new stakeholders to these critical conversations,” explains Olaf Kolkman, Chief Internet Technology Officer of the Internet Society.
“As cyberspace continues to rapidly evolve, it offers distinct advantages to our way of life while also posing specific threats,” added Marina Kaljurand, GCSC Chair. “It is for this reason that this body was devised as a means to ensure the exchange of knowledge and ideas between governments, the business community, academia and concerned citizens. Each is affected by, and has a contributing role to play, in shaping cyberspace.”
The GCSC will convene over a three-year period to formulate policy recommendations for action—applicable to both governments and the private sector. Based in The Hague, the Commission will bring together different stakeholders to develop a shared understanding and advance cyber security by supporting information exchange and capacity building, research, and advocacy.
About the Internet Society
Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet. Working through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a broad range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure, and advocate for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
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