Participants of the training conducted in Brussels by the Lodz Cyber Hub operating at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz.
In November 2022, University of Lodz was officially accepted as a member of the European Security and Defence College; ESDC – a dedicated initiative of the European External Action Service, EEAS aimed at focusing training efforts on cybersecurity. University of Lodz is the only civilian institution from Poland admitted to the College. Cooperation with ESDC on behalf of the University of Lodz is carried out by the Lodz Cyber Hub research centre.
ESDC mission and goals of the cooperation
The College objective is to strengthen a common European security and defense culture, and provide the Union institutions with competent staff able to work effectively in all matters of common defense of the Community interests. To this end, the College organises specialised training and provides an educational offer that meets the training and educational needs of national and international entities.
It is organised as a network of civilian and military institutes, colleges, academies, universities, institutions and other entities dealing with security and defense policy issues in the Union as defined by the Member States. The College is a part of the European External Action Service (EEAS) but has its own legal capacity.
Cybersecurity and international law 2023
Last week, participants from EU Member States and third countries met in Brussels for the fully residential expert workshops on issues in the field of cybersecurity and international law. The workshop took place from 23 to 25 January 2023 and gathered more than 30 participants, civilian and military, working in various areas of creating and applying national and international law regarding cybersecurity in the EU countries and third countries, including from Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Macedonia, Belgium and Austria. They had the opportunity to exchange views and share best practices on cyber-related topics while improving their knowledge, skills and competencies.
The Lodz Cyber Hub research centre, University of Lodz has had the honour to co-organise this important event for the first time in cooperation with ESDC. The workshop offered a practical approach to the application of international law in cyberspace. It focused on current geopolitical challenges and their pragmatic solutions.
Topics covered and invited experts
During the three-day course, key issues related to the application of international law in the area of cybersecurity were discussed, including the principles of international law and their application in cyberspace, with particular emphasis on digital sovereignty; an armed attack in cyberspace and crossing the threshold of Art. 51 of the United Nations Charter, cyber sanctions and cyber diplomacy based on the Cyberdiplomacy Toolbox; internet governance, multi-agency and standard-setting in cyberspace; international criminal jurisdiction and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime; content moderation challenges on online platforms; Open Source Intelligence and Cyberespionage; privacy and protection of personal data in cyberspace; freedom of expression, disinformation and hate speech online; global management of broadband Internet access using low-origin satellites and analysis of the due diligence standard for preventing cyber incidents.
At the invitation of LCH, the lecturers included top-class specialists in the field of international law application in cyberspace, representing, among others, Oxford University; Chatham House; NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE), Tallinn; European Union Network and Infrastructure Security Agency (ENISA); King's College London; the European Cybercrime Center (EC3), Europol; the European Commission; the European External Action Service, but also technical internet management organisations such as RIPE NCC and ICANN – an organisation that has already visited the University of Lodz many times. The detailed agenda of the meeting is available here.
Lodz Cyber Hub at ESDC and building digital competences
We would like to thank ESDC for the great cooperation and efforts made to deliver an excellent result, as well as the lecturers of the course and all the participants of the "Cybersecurity and International Law 2023" for their hard work and professionalism
– says Dr Joanna Kulesza, Head of the Lodz Cyber Hub.
Lodz Cyber Hub research centre, established in 2021, is a self-financing unit operating at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz, whose statutory tasks include supporting decision-making processes and building intellectual potential in the field of current issues regarding the information society, including cybersecurity, cybercrime and fundamental rights on the Internet, with a particular emphasis on the right to privacy, protection of personal data, freedom of expression and responsibility of Internet service providers.
LCH assists in the implementation of projects supporting lifelong learning, offers vocational training, as well as policy advice tailored to the needs of individual actors and stakeholders. At the moment, LCH is implementing several projects in the areas indicated above, e.g. the ESIWA project aimed at improving the digital competences of representatives of government organisations in Southeast Asia and the GDHRNet project, aimed at redefining the obligations of states in the field of applying human rights online.
To obtain the latest information, please visit the Lodz Cyber Hub website, as well as Twitter and LinkedIn.
Dr Joanna Kulesza is the Head of the Lodz Cyber Hub.
More information about the January event is also available on the ESDC website.
Source: Lodz Cyber Hub
Edit: Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz