UN Secretary General calls for global rules on cyber conflict

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that cyber-attacks against military targets and critical infrastructure will likely initiate future wars, and called to minimise the impact of electronic warfare on civilians. During his address at the University of Lisbon, he raised concerns over the fact that there is no regulation for cyber-warfare which already exists among states, nor is it clear how existing international laws, such as the Geneva Convention, apply to cyberspace. Guterres suggested that the UN serve as a platform for various stakeholders to work on rules that can ensure a ‘more humane character’ of cyber-conflicts and a general use of Internet for good rather than for bad.