From BRICS to CyberBRICS:New Cybersecurity Cooperation

By LUCA BELLI

CONCLUDING a very productive ministerial meeting held in Brasilia in August 2019， the BRICS Ministers for Communications have released an important joint declaration highlighting the strategic interest of BRICS partnerships on new digital infrastructures， 5G technologies， the Internet of Things （IoT） and cybersecurity.

Modern infrastructures， efficient cybersecurity governance， and particularly， sound data protection regulations， are crucial issues for the inclusive and sustainable development of BRICS countries， especially as they are massively betting on digitalization and the potential of interconnected and interdependent technologies， such as 5G and IoT.

Digital transformation is an essential element for the future of BRICS economies and societies， and this is precisely why BRICS member countries are elaborating on digitalization strategies and some are already implementing these strategies. China is by far the country with the most systemic approach， having invested heavily in 5G technologies， so much so that it is now leading the global 5G race， as well as cybersecurity capabilities. China recently adopted well-coordinated cybersecurity legislation， an e-commerce law and data protection standards.

Brazil， by contrast， has only recently started to implement its one-year-old Digital Transformation Strategy， and while the new General Data Protection Law will come into effect in 2020， the organ that will have to implement it still has to be created. The Brazilian government only established a National Plan for IoT in June 2019， but it still lacks a cybersecurity strategy， although the Presidencys Institutional Security Cabinet is working to develop one.

In such a complex context， digital transformation may offer great benefits while at the same time create great risks. Billions of interconnected devices controlled via 5G networks have the potential to greatly enhance robotics， industrial automation， smart farming， and provide incredible efficiency gains due to vast data collection and processing capabilities. At the same time， the interconnection of every “thing” requires the highest level of security to avoid hackings， data leaks， and the transformation of the BRICS digital dreams into potential nightmares.

As cybersecurity experts say， there are only three types of Internet users in the world： those who have already been hacked， those who will be hacked， and those who are being hacked as we speak.

The Need for Mutual Learning and Cooperation

In an environment where access to digital technologies is becoming essential for communicating， learning， doing business， and socializing， and all“things” are being connected in IoT systems， BRICS need not only efficient but also convergent digital policies.

The early findings of the research developed by the CyberBRICS project demonstrate that BRICS face common challenges and many of the policies they are adopting， or are already in place， present several points of commonality. In this sense， they should seize digital transformation to enhance their cooperation and develop common or， at least compatible， solutions.

Members of the bloc can learn a great deal from their own experiences and are in a phase which is particularly propitious to align their regulatory frameworks. According to the BRICS communications ministers， studying and understanding their collective digital polices is a complex task. They reaffirmed their commitment to enhance joint research cooperation and address the challenges of cybersecurity.

A cooperative stance and a comparative perspective are essential， not only to foster mutual understanding and the respect for each others culture， but also to enable the development of interoperable technologies and regulations capable of fostering access to innovative services and products， while ensuring protection of users rights.

BRICS members may have different sensitivities， but their priorities and goals are frequently very similar. In this light， the establishment of a solid， multistakeholder cooperation initiative， where BRICS governments can dialogue with academics， the private sector， and civil society representatives， receiving input and feedback as regards the various aspects of their cybersecurity policies， would be a profitable strategy for all.

To begin with， the governments of BRICS members， which in recent years have consistently stressed the value of enhanced cooperation on research and technological development， could support the establishment of a BRICS think-tank cooperation mechanism on cybersecurity. As the pioneering experience of the CyberBRICS project demonstrates， analyzing existing digital policies is paramount to identifying good practices and proposing sustainable and fair solutions.

Brazils rotating presidency of BRICS is a unique opportunity to formulate a positive and proactive agenda， highlighting the benefits of improved cooperation on digital policies in general and on cybersecurity in particular.

LUCA BELLI is professor of Internet governance and regulation at FGV Law School in Rio de Janeiro， where he heads the CyberBRICS project.