Topic: Future of Cyber Warfare
Country: Turkey
Delegate Name: Matt Morrow
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Turkey position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Warfare between nations has varied greatly as new technologies are constantly being invented. These technologies are used to obtain an advantage over other nations. Unlike many new technologies of the past, cyber warfare is extremely dangerous due to the fact that many countries are unaware or have the lack of resources to fund programs to combat these attacks. The extent of cyber warfare attacks vary greatly from simple computer viruses to extensive multiplatform programs such as Stuxnet. Due to the recent attack on Iran's Nuclear programs in 2010, nations such as the United States and Turkey are taking extra precautions such as investing money into their own individual cyber weapons for defense purposes. The United Nations need to address the issues of tracing the attacks to its origin. Depending on the severity of the attack, the United Nations should categorize cyber attacks as criminal and punishable acts and even to the extent of declaring them acts of war. The United Nations need to be cautious when dealing with the justified responses to the attacks due to their unknown origins.
Turkey is taking many precautions to the threat of cyber warfare by implementing a series of drills to respond to a cyber warfare attack. These drills were designed to coordinate a cyber response among the diverse institutions and to establish the first three core commands that serve as Turkey's cyber command in the office of the general staff. Taking further measures, Turkey has enacted several internet filter laws, which require internet users in Turkey to use government provided internet filters to stop cyber warfare attacks from going in or out of Turkey. Furthermore, Turkey is the most recent nation to join the National Cyber Security Coordination. This organization's primary goal is to establish a coordinated defense against cyber attacks. With the help of the other members of this committee, Turkey hopes to take a combined approach that will provide cyber defense for business as well as for the nation’s government and armed forces.
Turkey would like to see more done by the United Nations in funding Cyber programs to combat attacks and locate the attackers origins. By joining organizations such the National Cyber Security Coordination, countries can work together and share resources and technology to benefit all of its members. Just as Turkey has implemented a series of drills and guidelines to deal with attacks after they have happened, other nations need to follow to provide a more stable and effective response.
