Few countries around the world exist in geopolitical hotspots more than the GCC, making the region vulnerable to various threats arising from conflict, terrorism and political tensions, but also from climate change and piracy. From the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab Al Mandeb Strait and from the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal to the Turkish Straits, such direly needed canals have always been chokepoints for vessels importing vital goods into the region.
To add to an already volatile climate, cyber warfare has emerged as a key port of trade … and strife, capable of causing disruptions of catastrophic magnitude for businesses and governments. Yesterday's cyberattacks hit almost every continent on the globe, from the US to Europe and from South America to Asia, crippling systems' operators and taking out servers at Russia's biggest oil company and a major French bank, among others.
If the latest cyber crisis proves one point, it is that the fate of the cyber world is as indispensable to key global players as real time trade. This is why governments must rise to the task, as the online world, which is arguably much more complex than the maritime domain, has fundamentally altered national strategic priorities.
Oceans have often fallen hostage to nations, but nations today fall hostage to lone actors who can wreak havoc on their systems and economies at the click of a button. For countries already under unprecedented political and economic strain, a blow like this could be as detrimental as a bomb.
This is why governments must liaise with tech pioneers and incorporate this abstract battlespace in their strategies. But even then, building strong online defence against predators is not enough. International legislation must be developed to include deterrent laws against cybercrimes of this scale. This is the only way the attackers can be kept at bay.
The region will no doubt have taken note of yesterday’s cyberattack, but an immediate and extensive action plan is needed now more than ever.
