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Luncheon: Cybersecurity and International Law

  • Pur Sang Quintana 191 Buenos Aires Argentina (map)

Luncheon Report

Our speaker today was Laura Jamschon Mac Garry. Laura is a career diplomat, recently returned to Buenos Aires from a 6 year posting in Vienna. Laura spoke on “Information Security: Legal Challenges Under International Law.” She brought us up to speed on the different and varied risks to cyber security. In this internet-conscious age, most of us have heard of massive security breaches and the resulting loss of information, hacked by individuals or agencies worldwide. How does this concern us?

Most satellites orbiting our planet are state controlled, but many are private. An enormous quantity of volatile data is continuously being pirated in cyberspace, including sensitive state security data, not to mention personal data, bank accounts, where we live and shop, where our children go to school, and the like.

Ms. Mac Garry pointed out the differences between domestic and inter- national law vis-a-vis cyber threats. Domestic cyber law has to do with individuals and property rights, whereas international cyber law looks at issues of states and sovereignty, as well as national and international peace and security. Individual actors hack personal emails, photos, and accounts, and use them for criminal scams, personal profit, etc. International hackers do all that and more; they can change the course of a satellite’s orbit, give it commands, download it’s imaging systems and wreak havoc with it’s programming.

Laura noted that these breaches are done by both governments and non-state actors international- ly for geopolitical aims, military advantages, elections, financial gain, and the like. It can be difficult to sort out the good actors from the bad. Current legal systems in place, be they domestic or inter- national, face many challenges. The United Nations, along with the EU, OAS, and NATO, are continuously working to clarify the intricate web of domestic and international law and policy, treaties, and binding conventions between states and governments. Are we on the brink of an international digital war? The UN continues to hold strategic discussions with government and civilian experts in an effort to sort out the fine threads between domestic and international security law.

UWC President Mariel Birnbaumer presented Ms. Mac Garry with a gift as a token of the Club’s gratitude. The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 pm.

Minutes submitted by Willow Running Hawk


Luncheon Announcement

What is being done worldwide to approach legal challenges of cybersecurity? Do our politicians understand the threats that certain cyber operations pose to national security? How important is our understanding of cybersecurity in the workplace, at home? Cybersecurity includes the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attack. Laura Jamschon MacGarry has chosen cybersecurity and international law as her topic for her PhD project. This month she will share with us some of her personal and academic insights on the subject.

Laura Jamschon MacGarry was born in Argentina, where she graduated with a Law degree from the University of Buenos Aires. She received a master’s degree in International Legal Studies at the University of Vienna and started her PhD at the University of Rome. Laura is also a career diplomat.