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NUPI's Research Centre on New Technology

Researh Centre

Through NUPI's Research Centre on New Technology we seek to bridge the gap between the technical community and the policy world with research focusing primarily on the political dimension of cybersecurity. With a focus on the role of cybersecurity in international relations we track new developments in cybersecurity, and provide academic studies, expert analysis and strategic policy recommendations. The research focus includes theories of cybersecurity, global governance of cyberspace, capacity building, development, and the security vs. freedom dilemma.

We seek to enhance the understanding of today’s increased dependency on a functional cyberspace and what this entails in terms of vulnerabilities, crime and conflict. We have several ongoing and finished projects that address these issues. The goal of the GAIA project (funded by the Research Council of Norway's IKTPLUSS initiative) is to increase the knowledge on digital value chains and what challenges they bring, to draw links between digital value chains, national autonomy and international politics. This is a four-year cooperation between SimulaMet, NUPI and several other institutions and organizations. Protecting Democracies from Digital Threats looks at novel ways of subverting democratic processes through digital means, and different approaches to mitigate this threat. 

Of our finished projects Digital Attacks Against the Norwegian Petroleum Sector explored the digital threats towards the petroleum sector and how to respond to them, while the recently finished Upholding the NATO Cyber Pledge examined if and how deterrence works in the cyber domain. Another area of focus is on International governance and regulation, with particular emphasis on the private sector and the dependence on them to providing cyber security nationally and internationally. Cybersecurity and Developing Countries aimed to systematically explore cybersecurity risks and assess cyber capacity building in developing countries. The aim was to provide a critical analysis of how to actually accomplish cyber capacity building in practice. Read the article The Cyber Frontier and Digital Pitfalls in the Global South published in Third World Quarterly (2018). Critical Digital Infrastructures examined how states approach the issue of public-private cooperation and transnational dependencies for their critical infrastructures, 

Through our extensive international and national network within cybersecurity we work with a wide range of global partners such as the Global Forum of Cyber Expertise, and the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre at the University of Oxford, as well as with governments, military, international organizations, and the private sector. NUPI organizes several seminars and events aimed at enhancing public awareness and knowledge of the various challenges associated with cyber security in Norway as well as internationally.

The Research Centre is coordinated by Niels Nagelhus Schia and Lars Gjesvik.

Our researchers on cyber security are Niels Nagelhus Schia, Lars GjesvikKarsten Friis, Claudia Aanonsen, Erik Reichborn-KjennerudEskil Jakobsen and Ida Faldbakken.

Through our extensive international and national network within cybersecurity we work with a wide range of global partners such as the Global Forum of Cyber Expertise, and the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre at the University of Oxford, as well as with governments, military, international organizations, and the private sector. NUPI is a member of the Cybil portal on cyber capacity building and organizes several seminars and events aimed at enhancing public awareness and knowledge of the various challenges associated with cyber security in Norway as well as internationally.

News

PODCAST: Guardians of the Algorithm

November 9, 2023

The World Stage looks closer on the need for global oversight of artificial intelligence with Dr. Rumman Chowdhury.

PODCAST: AI and geopolitics

August 8, 2023

“Every tool can become a weapon,” notes Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. “It will take not just responsible companies, but law and regulation to manage this properly.”

C-suite strategies for responsible AI

July 7, 2023

Microsoft and NBIM executives visited NUPI to deliberate on the geopolitics of artificial intelligence.

News

NUPI replaces NRK P2's 'Ekko' this week

December 7, 2020

NUPI has produced ten hours of high quality radio about foreign policy and international relations. The programs will air on NRK P2 during week 50, Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 11.00. Tune in!

News

Podcast: Can blockchain save journalism?

March 4, 2019

The underlying technology behind bitcoin may help fight fake news, says Walid Al-Saqaf.

News

Podcast: Giving Chinese tech giants access to Europe - what are the consequences?

February 7, 2019

Are we ready for the implications of giving Chinese tech giant access to European markets?

News

Prestigious project to NUPI on digitalization and the modern world order

October 26, 2018

New project to investigate vulnerabilities on the Internet and political consequences.

News
Bildet viser Michael Chertoff

Cyberattacks: How to protect critical infrastructure?

September 7, 2018

Michael Chertoff, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, shares his insights on cybersecurity in a new NUPI podcast episode.

News
Bildet illustrerer cyberspace

PODCAST: Cyberspace, international norms, and a new initiative in the UN?

May 23, 2018

In this NUPI podcast, cyber-expert Karsten Geier proposes a new way forward.

News
Marina Kaljurand besøkte NUPI i desember

PODCAST: How to govern cyberspace?

December 13, 2017

Marina Kaljurand shares five lessons from the aftermath of the 2007 cyber attacks on Estonia.

News

President of Estonia on cyber security

October 18, 2017

What does Estonia see as the most pressing challenges to the global stability of cyber space?

News

Upholding the NATO cyber pledge

May 11, 2017

Cyber Deterrence and Resilience: Dilemmas in NATO defence and security politics.

News
Bildet viser Madeline Carr

An unsecure web of things

March 24, 2017

How do you know if your new TV with an integrated camera is secure?

News
Bildet illustrerer cyberspace

The cyber-frontier

August 10, 2016

How does digitalization lead to new kinds of global connections and disconnections in the developing countries? And which role does digitalization play for the UN's sustainable development goals? NUPI researchers set out to explore this in a new research project that maps cybersecurity in the Globa1

News
Seniorrådgiver Karsten Friis, forsker Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud og juniorforsker Lilly Pijnenburg Muller.

Conflict in Cyber Space

April 26, 2016

The rapid digitalization of today’s societies means that we are increasingly dependent upon a functional and stable cyber space.

Publications

Publication : Policy Brief
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Internet governance and the UN in a multiplex world order era?

2023
Over the last two decades Internet Governance (IG) has emerged as an increasingly complex and fraught field of policymaking involving both states and ...
Publication : Op-ed
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Hva er det vi egentlig løser ved å slette TikTok?

2023
Hvilke apper må Nasjonal sikkerhetsmyndighet vurdere i neste runde?
Publication : Policy Brief
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The subsea cable cut at Svalbard January 2022: What happened, what were the consequences, and how were they managed?

2023
Svalbard is, like most other societies, largely dependent on an internet connection. The fiber connection on Svalbard consists of two separate subsea ...
Publication : Policy Brief
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Loss of Tonga’s telecommunication – what happened, how was it managed and what were the consequences?

2022
In January 2022 the subsea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in Tonga had a major eruption which also cut the country’s communication lines nationally, ...
Publication : Research Article
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Interpreting cyber-energy-security events: experts, social imaginaries, and policy discourses around the 2016 Ukraine blackout

2022
We analyse the expert debate around a cyber attack in 2016 that caused an electric power blackout in Ukraine. Two expert reports were crucial for interpreting ...
Publication : Article
Review of International political Economy.webp

Private infrastructure in weaponized interdependence

2022
The ability of states to exploit private resources at an international level is an increasingly salient political issue. In explaining the mechanisms ...
Publication
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Verdens rikeste mann har geopolitiske ambisjoner. Derfor bekymrer Twitter-kjøpet.

2022
Elon Musk's involvement in the Ukraine war and take-over of Twitter raise a number of questions and dilemmas (in Norwegian).
Publication : Popular scientific article

Digitale trusler blir kinkig for Norge i Sikkerhetsrådet

2020
(Op-ed in Norwegian): De fleste land rangerer trusler via det digitale rom som en av de største utfordringene for det 21. århundret. På tross av dette ...
Publication : Chapter

Norwegian cybersecurity: a small-state approach to building international cyber cooperation

As a small, open and highly digitalized country, cyber security is an issue of growing policy importance in Norway. Yet, like other highly digitalized ...
Publication : Chapter

Managing a digital revolution: cyber security capacity building in Myanmar

Digitalization is exposing developing countries to a growing number of risks as well as opportunities associated with connecting to the Internet. Myanmar ...
Publication

Digital Vulnerabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals in Developing Countries

2020
How does digitalization lead to new kinds of global connections and disconnections in the developing countries? And which role does digitalization play ...
Publication : Report

Intergovernmental checkmate on cyber? Processes on cyberspace in the United Nations

2020
  • Erik Kursetgjerde
Cyberspace is an increasingly controversial field on the international agenda. Despite the fact that processes on the thematic have been going on in the ...
Publication : Academic article

Offensive cyberoperasjoner: Den nye normalen?

2020
Can states retaliate if they get digitally attacked in peace-time? What are states doing and what does international law say about this? What are the ...
Publication : Academic article

Hacking democracy: managing influence campaigns and disinformation in the digital age

2020
How are states responding to the threat of using digital technologies to subvert democratic processes? Protecting political and democratic processes from ...
Publication : Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

The role of the UN Security Council in cybersecurity: international peace and security in the digital age

2020
At the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the UN Security Council is faced with difficult questions about its efficacy, relevance and legitimacy. ...
Publication : NUPI Report

The Politics of Stability: Cement and Change in Cyber Affairs

2019
In November 2018, the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, inaugurated one year earlier ‘to develop proposals for norms and policies to enhance ...
Publication

Critical communication infrastructures and Huawei

2019
Recently, there have been growing cyber-safety concerns over telecom equipment made by the Chinese vendor Huawei. This has led many countries to ban Huawei ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

Finding a European response to Huawei’s 5G ambitions

2019
This policy brief suggests that European countries should institute national reviewing boards overseen by intelligence agencies to vet Huawei equipment. ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

Forebygging av krig og konflikt i cyberdomenet

2019
(Available in Norwegian only): Cyberdomenet representerer kanskje en av vår tids største trusler mot internasjonal fred og sikkerhet men er viet lite ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

Military Offensive Cyber-Capabilities: Small-State Perspectives

2019
  • Lilly Pijnenburg Muller
This Policy Brief provides an overview of the military cyber-defence strategies and capabilities of Norway and of the Netherlands. Comparison of the two ...
Publication : NUPI Report

Parabasis: Cyber-diplomacy in Stalemate

2018
Governments and industry around the world are working together to bring the next billion users online,1 but their synergies fade when it comes to how ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

International Cybersecurity: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

2018
Tikk and Kerttunen inform new entrants and nonparticipating governments of the discussions and outcomes of the UN First Committee Group of Governmental ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

Cyber Security Capacity Building in Myanmar

2018
Digitalization is exposing developing countries to a growing number of risks, as well as opportunities associated with connecting to the Internet. Myanmar ...
Publication

Managing a Digital Revolution - Cyber Security Capacity Building in Myanmar

2018
Digitalization is exposing developing countries to a growing number of risks, as well as opportunities associated with connecting to the Internet. Myanmar ...
Publication : NUPI Report

Cyber-weapons in International Politics : Possible sabotage against the Norwegian petroleum sector

2018
The use of digital weapons is a rising global problem. Society is rapidly becoming more digitalized – and thereby more vulnerable to attacks. These vulnerabilities ...
Publication : ARTIKKEL

The cyber frontier and digital pitfalls in the Global South

2018
How does digitalisation lead to new kinds of global connections and disconnections in the Global South? And what are the pitfalls that accompany this ...
Publication : ARTIKKEL

Makt og avmakt i cyberspace: hvordan styre det digitale rom?

2016
  • Lilly Pijnenburg Muller
A secure cyberspace is a necessity for the functioning of the economic, political and social structures of modern-day society. The stability and development ...
Publication : KRONIKK

Trusselen fra cyberspace

2017
(Op-ed in Norwegian only): Cyberangrep øker i omfang verden over. Norge er et av verdens mest digitaliserte land og dermed spesielt utsatt, men dette ...
Publication : ANTOLOGI

Conflict in Cyber Space: Theoretical, strategic and legal perspectives

2016
Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, this book explores the key challenges associated with the proliferation of cyber capabilities. Over the past ...
Publication : NUPI Rapport

Teach a person how to surf: Cyber security as development assistance

2016
Much policy literature on digitalization and development has focused on the importance of connecting developing countries to digital networks, and how ...
Publication : KRONIKK
Publication : NUPI Report

Cyber Security Capacity Building in Developing Countries: challenges and Opportunities

2015
  • Lilly Pijnenburg Muller
Cyberspace is an intrinsic part of the development of any country. A strong cyber capacity is crucial for states to progress and develop in economic, ...
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief

Cyber Security Capacity Building in Developing Countries

2015
  • Lilly Pijnenburg Muller
Cyberspace is an intrinsic part of the development of any country. A strong cyber capacity is crucial for states to progress and develop in economic, ...
Publication : ARTIKKEL

The Cyber Frontier

2016
The cyber frontier perspective serves to explicate that the Global South’s participation in digitalization is not simply a matter of joining cyberspace. ...

Projects

Project : Forskningsprosjekt

Cybersecurity Capacity Centre for Southern Africa

C3SA informs policy through cybersecurity research to build national cyber capacity and resilience across Africa.
Project : Research project

Digital sovereignty and autonomy

NUPI in collaboration with Simula Research Lab will map global data flows and their impact on national autonomy and sovereignty.
Project : Research project

Critical Digital Infrastructures

Protecting critical infrastructures from digital threats is a key challenge for modern states, how should the state approach and make sense of the security of privately owned infrastructures?
Project : Research project

Protecting Democracies from Digital Threats

How are states responding to the threat of using digital technologies to subvert democratic processes?
Project : Research Project

Science, technology and warfare of the future

How does technology help to change how we percieve the world and how to act in it?
Project : Research Project

Countering Hybrid Warfare (Multinational Capability Development Campaign)

NUPI leads an international project on how to counter hybrid warfare.
Project

Cybersecurity Capacity Building 2.0 - Bridging the digital divide and strengthening sustainable development

This project will study cybersecurity capacity building (CCB) and the sustainability of development processes in developing countries.
Project : Research Project

Digital Attacks against the Norwegian Petroleum Sector

This project is mapping the threats and the historical usage of digital weapons against critical infrastructures, as well as examining the problems arising from unclear responsibilities in responding to these types of attacks.
Project : Research project

Upholding the NATO cyber pledge: What does cyber deterrence and cyber resilience mean for NATO and Norway?

The aim of this project is to explore how and to what extent deterrence works in cyberspace or whether a focus on resilience as the new strategic logic is the way forward.
Project : Research Project

Cybersecurity Capacity Building

The project aims to systematically explore cyber security risks in developing countries

Coordinator

Niels Nagelhus Schia

Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Research group on security and defense, Head of NUPI's Research Centere on New Technology

 

Themes
Security policy  Foreign policy  International organizations  Defence  Peace operations  Terrorism and extremism  International economics  Governance  Development policy  Cyber  Diplomacy
Events
Tue 9 May 2023
Event
Time: 10:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Cyber defence and the EU’s cyber posture

What are the recently adopted EU cyber-related policies and how relevant are they in the current geopolitical context?

Wed 7 Apr 2021
Event
Time: 14:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: Microsoft Teams

The weakest link? Digital technology and cyber security capacity building in Developing Countries

The world gets more interconnected, and the dependency of cyberspace and its infrastructure is now evident in most sectors. Join this seminar to learn more about the need for security standards across countries.

Tue 17 Nov 2020
Event
Time: 14:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: Microsoft Teams

Naming and shaming of cyber intruders – does it work?

Last month Norwegian authorities made the rather unusual decision to call out - to attribute - Russia for being behind a cyber operation towards the Norwegian parliament. NUPI’s Cybersecurity Centre has the pleasure to invite to a webinar with Professor Madeline Carr. She will provide an overview o1

Tue 9 Jun 2020
Event
Time: 14:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: Webinar

WEBINAR: Security implications of AI and other emerging technologies

NUPI’s Cybersecurity Centre has the pleasure to invite to a webinar with Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli, who will talk about how the technological development creates new global security challenges.

Sun 6 Oct 2019
Event
Time: 14:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

The U.S. National Cyber Strategy and 5G

What are the challenges and priorities in the American cyberspace?

Thu 31 Oct 2019
Event
Time: 11:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Theory Seminar: Cyber Conflict in the study of International Relations

Max Smeets will take a closer look at the academic literature on analysing cyber conflict.

Thu 31 Oct 2019
Event
Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

The U.S. Cyber Strategy of Persistent Engagement

How does the U.S. Cyber Command wish to position itself in cyberspace?

Sun 2 Jun 2019
Event
Time: 12:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Lunch seminar: Peace, war and alliances in cyberspace

What are cyberspace operations? In what ways is conflict in this “domain” different from conflict in physical domain? And how do cyberspace operations relate to information warfare, what are the similarities and differences?

Thu 2 May 2019
Event
Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Breakfast seminar: Cyber threats and what to do about them?

Michael Sulmeyer, Director for Belfer Center's Cyber Project, is visiting NUPI to discuss cyber security and international politics.

Tue 5 Feb 2019
Event
Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Chinese cyber security and consequences for Europe

Chinese tech giants are increasingly visible and established in the European market. Are we ready for all that this implies?

Sun 26 Aug 2018
Event
Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Cyber security and the protection of critical infrastructure – an American perspective

Michael Chertoff shares his experiences from his time as United States Secretary of Homeland Security, and he will talk about how we best can secure critical infrastructure against cyber attacks.

Tue 24 Apr 2018
Event
Time: 13:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

The International Cyber Diplomacy Agenda

Karsten Geier, an important voice in international cyber diplomacy and security, visits NUPI to give you an overview of the international cyber diplomacy agenda.

Mon 15 Jan 2018
Event
Time: 13:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Cyber Intelligence and Nordic Security

Cyber threats increasingly affect the security and prosperity of Nordic states, including Norway. Through this event NUPI's Cyber Security Centre will highlight where these threats come from, and the role of cyber intelligence.

Thu 7 Dec 2017
Event
Time: 10:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Global governance of cyberspace - opportunities and challenges

What are the biggest global challenges to the stability of cyberspace today? To what extent can norms and policy development guide responsible state and non-state behavior in cyberspace? And what are the best arenas for producing such norms and guidance?

Mon 9 Oct 2017
Event
Time: 12:30 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Facing new threats: The US cyber security strategy

Cyber security and cyber defense are areas that are increasingly receiving more attention, but there are still major challenges for how a country will manage to deal with such threats. Victor Piotrowski and Ralph F. Wachter comes to NUPI to share his experiences about US cyber security and the stra1

Sun 15 Oct 2017
Event
Time: 12:15 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Estonia's president on security in the Baltic Sea region

Estonia plays an important role in Europe’s relationship to Russia. The president of Estonia visits NUPI to give some insight in the security challenges in the area.

Thu 17 Aug 2017
Event
Time: 13:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Cyber as a strategic dimension in National Security - The Israeli perspective

Politically motivated cyber-attacks are on the rise internationally. Such attacks can cause serious damage to the most sensitive security organizations and critical infrastructures. As a result, cyber is now often regarded as the fifth warfare and defense dimension after land, sea, air and space.

Wed 22 Mar 2017
Event
Time: 10:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

The Internet of Things – how do we govern it?

The Cyber Security forum at NUPI has the pleasure of inviting you to a seminar exploring what often is referred to the fourth industrial revolution: The Internet of Things. How do we govern it?

Thu 3 May 2018
Event
Time: 13:15 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Theory Seminar: The Territorialization of Cybersecurity

Dr Jordan Branch visits NUPI to talk about the tension between territorial and non-territorial aspects of cyber security.

Wed 27 Jan 2016
Event
Time: 10:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Launch of the World Bank Development Report 2016

The World Bank Group and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORAD, invite you to a presentation of the World Bank Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends

Mon 6 Apr 2015
Event
Time: 13:00 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Cybersikkerhet i internasjonale fora: Hvem skal delta?

Private selskaper kontrollerer avgjørende deler av det som utgjør cyberspace. Samtidig har cybersikkerhet blitt en statlig oppgave. Hvordan skal vi da organisere internasjonalt samarbeid om cyberspørsmål?

Mon 24 Nov 2014
Event
Time: 12:30 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Security and liberty in cyberspace. Countermeasures and dilemmas in securing a global free cyberspace

Security and liberty in cyberspace is the topic for this seminar with Myriam Dunn Cavelty from Center for Security Studies (CSS) .

Mon 24 Nov 2014
Event
Time: 09:30 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Theory Seminar: Theorizing cybersecurity

Cyber security is the topic of this theory seminar with Myriam Dunn Cavelty, lecturer and senior research fellow at Center for Security Studies (CSS).

Wed 22 Mar 2017
Event
Time: 13:15 Europe/Oslo
Location: NUPI

Theory seminar: Attribution and international society in cyber security

In this theory seminar Dr Madeline Carr will present her paper on attribution and international society in cyber security as understood by Hedley Bull where she uses cyber space as a case study.