In recent years, the United States has spearheaded a proactive paradigm shift in cyber defense, moving beyond mere reactive strategies to countering threats before they materialize.
The Department of Defense (DOD), in 2018, outlined its ‘Defend Forward’ strategy, emphasizing the necessity of addressing cyber threats proactively.
This approach was reaffirmed in the 2023 Department of Defense Cyber Strategy and has garnered interest from multiple nations, including South Korea.
In early 2024, South Korea unveiled its second National Cybersecurity Strategy, reflecting a significant shift from a reactive to a proactive cyber defense stance.
The earlier 2019 National Cybersecurity Strategy primarily focused on enhancing cyberattack response capabilities through various reactive measures.
Despite underscoring the importance of international cooperation in handling cyber incidents, the strategy lacked a proactive defense framework.
The 2024 strategy marks a departure from this reactive viewpoint, emphasizing offensive cyber defense capabilities that mirror aspects of the U.S. ‘Defend Forward’ strategy.
As outlined in the 2024 strategy, South Korea emphasizes five main tasks, with a particular focus on enhancing offensive cyber defense activities while developing a global cybersecurity presence.
Nevertheless, the term “offensive cyber defense” has drawn scrutiny for its potential mischaracterization, suggesting actions that may not align with the intended focus on proactive responses.
Among the notable initiatives, South Korea aims to enhance its attribution capabilities to track down cyber attackers, collaborate with allied nations for joint advisories, and bolster proactive responses through active detection and attack origin analysis.
This proactive focus necessitates a coordinated organizational framework, bolstered by high-level entities like the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Cyber Command.
The NIS, along with its National Cyber Security Center, is positioned to oversee proactive cyber defense tasks, while the Cyber Command under the Ministry of National Defense plans and executes cyber operations.
A key element of the 2024 National Cybersecurity Basic Plan also includes the legal foundation for proactive defense measures, indicating a broadened scope for tackling cyber threats to national security.
In the context of international cooperation, insights from the United States, particularly its ‘Defend Forward’ approach, remain invaluable for South Korea as both nations navigate complex and evolving cyber landscapes.
The U.S. Cyber Command employs strategies aimed at disrupting and stopping cyber operations before they reach domestic networks, illustrating the importance of international partnerships in proactive cyber defense.
As proactive defense operations are conducted at the invitation of host nations, South Korea is keen to enhance its collaboration with the U.S. through intelligence sharing and joint operations.
Despite a promising framework established between South Korea and the United States, differences in leadership structures and strategic priorities require attention to optimize their alliance in cyberspace.
Distinct leadership in South Korea between the NIS and Cyber Command contrasts with the integrated leadership model observed in the U.S., where the NSA and Cyber Command operate under a single direction.
Consequently, this lack of consolidated oversight in South Korea poses challenges to agile command and effective intelligence sharing.
To stabilize their cooperative efforts, both countries need to clarify norms around common threat actors, as the evolving geopolitical landscape underscores challenges posed by various adversaries.
Both nations must develop a joint understanding of main threats to implement proactive cyber defenses effectively, particularly addressing the complex threats posed by North Korea and China.
As they explore avenues for enhanced collaboration, South Korea will need to adapt its organizational structure while considering emerging cyber threat implications in its national security policy.
In conclusion, the evolution of cyber threats demands a reassessment of existing cyber strategies, and proactive defense models like ‘Defend Forward’ offer essential frameworks for cooperation between South Korea and the United States in combating cyber threats.
The cooperation framework established under the Strategic Cybersecurity Cooperation Framework (SCCF) provides a solid foundation for aligning both nations’ efforts while maintaining focus on protecting national interests in an interconnected global cyber environment.
Ultimately, the effective and agile partnership between the United States and South Korea is crucial in ensuring readiness against cyber threats that are increasingly sophisticated and aggressive.
image source from：csis
