UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the dual-edged nature of cyberspace on Thursday, emphasizing its potential for both immense benefits and significant risks when misused.
Speaking at a Security Council high-level debate on evolving threats in cyberspace, convened by the Republic of Korea, the Council President for June, Guterres underscored the transformative power of digital technologies.
“Breakthroughs in digital technologies are happening at warp speed; digital advances are revolutionizing economies and societies,” Guterres said. “They are bringing people together, providing citizens with access to government services and institutions, and supercharging economies, trade, and financial inclusion.”
However, Guterres cautioned that the same connectivity driving these benefits also makes people, institutions, and countries vulnerable. “The perils of weaponizing digital technologies are growing by the year,” he warned. “Malicious activity in cyberspace is on the rise by both State and non-State actors and by outright criminals.”
He highlighted that serious cybersecurity incidents are becoming “disturbingly common,” with essential public services such as healthcare, banking, and telecommunications frequently breached. Criminal organizations and “cyber mercenaries” are engaging in relentless illicit activities, while a “legion of hate merchants” spreads fear and division online.
“So-called civilian ‘hacktivists’ are entering the fray, and in many cases, are blurring the line between combatants and civilians,” Guterres noted. He added that the integration of digital tools with weapon systems, including autonomous systems, presents new vulnerabilities. The misuse of digital technology is becoming more sophisticated and stealthier, amplified by AI-enabled cyber operations.
“Ransomware is one grievous example,” Guterres underscored, “a huge threat to public and private institutions and the critical infrastructure people depend on.” In 2023, total ransomware payments reached $1.1 billion.
Beyond financial costs, malicious cyber activities undermine public institutions, electoral processes, and online integrity, eroding trust, fueling tensions, and sowing the seeds of violence and conflict.
Despite these threats, Guterres emphasized the “incredible opportunity” digital technology offers to create a more just, equal, sustainable, and peaceful future. He called for breakthroughs to be oriented toward the common good, highlighting his proposed New Agenda for Peace that places prevention at the core of all peace efforts.
“It calls for developing strong frameworks in line with international law, human rights, and the UN Charter and focused efforts by all States to prevent the extension and escalation of conflicts within and through cyberspace,” he said. “As reflected in the New Vision for the Rule of Law, the rule of law must exist in the digital sphere as it does in the physical world.”
Guterres welcomed the General Assembly’s commitment to action, including its dedicated working group on information and communication technologies (ICT) security. He also urged the Security Council to integrate cyber-related considerations into its workstreams and resolutions, noting that many issues it addresses, such as the protection of civilians, peace operations, counterterrorism, and humanitarian operations, are affected by cyberspace.
“Integrating this issue into your deliberations would be a useful way to lay the groundwork for more effective responses to this important question,” he said.
Guterres further stressed the importance of the upcoming Summit of the Future in September. “The pact that will emerge from the summit represents a pivotal chance to support the maintenance of international peace and security in cyberspace,” he said. The summit aims to safeguard critical infrastructure against harmful ICT practices and create enhanced accountability for data-driven technology, including AI.
“I look forward to working with this Council, the General Assembly, and all Member States to ensure that technology is focused where it belongs: on the progress and security of all people and the planet we share,” he concluded.
