Cyber Sovereignty: National Security in the Digital Age

Abstract

In an era of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, cyber sovereignty has become the latest fad as states seek to assert control over their digital domains. This paper explores how each of these leading nations is navigating the complex landscape of cyber sovereignty to safeguard national security, including China, Russia, the United States, and the European Union. States like China and Russia, with strict cyber regulations, have managed to curb data flows, track Internet activities, and cap foreign influence through the sovereignty of cyberspace as a tool of state surveillance and censorship. However, such actions are difficult to do, especially in democratic countries, in presence of European Union's GDPR and the US CLOUD Act. This paper investigates the ethical implications resulting from the domination of a state over cyberspace, especially in authoritarian regimes. It discusses the economic impact of local laws which limits international trade and digital innovation. Fragmentation in the digital space is already leading to warnings about the future of an open internet at a time when more nations are promoting sovereignty over cooperation. An international cooperation, international norms on cyber, and a public-private partnership to enhance the resilience of cybersecurity would be good ways forward in addressing the challenges and gaps identified above. It is argued that national security, global digital cooperation, and individual rights should be balanced in such a way that cyberspace should be safe yet open for everybody.