Suburbia’s Own Cyber Warrior (aka Mr Blunt Goes To Washington)

There’s not much substance to this story but it gives me an excuse to use the title. Spotted in the spectacularly parochial Epsom Guardian:

Reigate and Banstead MP Crispin Blunt Goes to Washington Over Cyber Warfare Threat

Reigate and Banstead MP Crispin Blunt has been out in Washington to help set up a framework to defeat cyber warfare and cyber terrorism.

Mr Blunt, shadow minister for home affairs and counter terrorismn, went there to work on an international legal framework on cyber warfare with US policy makers and academics. Among others, he met White House and State Department officials.

Cyber warfare involves attacks on vital computer networks involved in defence, infrastructure and running essential services.

A recent report says that politically motivated cyber attacks have increased and five countries – the United States, Russia, France, Israel and China – are now armed with cyber weapons.

Before leaving for Washington Mr Blunt said: “We have seen an increase in the use of cyber warfare by states in recent years and are aware of the development of offensive cyber weapons capability by a growing number of states.

“This necessitates an urgent response from the international community, which must think through and set out the rules of the ‘game’ before it is too late.”

Mr Blunt was presumably deputising for Baroness Neville-Jones, the flagbearer of the Conservative’s pre-election security agenda.  Poor bastard – he’s probably just been handed this and told to get on with it. His website says,

Crispin Blunt is currently in Washington to discuss possibilities for an international legal framework on cyber warfare with US policy makers and academics. Amongst others he will meet White House and State Department officials and James Lewis the Director of the CSIS report ‘Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency.’

He’s also read the recent McAfee report:

McAfee’s report into the Age of Cyber Warfare is timely, raising the debate on an issue of ever growing importance to the security of the UK. I particularly welcome the debate about an international legal framework on the use of cyber weapons. We have seen an increase in the use of cyber warfare by states in recent years and are aware of the development of offensive cyber weapons capability by a growing number of states. This necessitates an urgent response from the international community, which must think through and set out the rules of the ‘game’ before it is too late. If the Conservative Party is elected to government next year we will ensure that the UK takes a lead on this.

Well, he read the abstract anyway. Anyone else get the feeling that our (probable) next government really aren’t saying much about anything? I’ll be interested to see whether Blunt returns from Washington with anything new to say. Oh, btw, he voted strongly for the Iraq war but against Labour’s counterterrorism laws, so he sounds like a company man; probably explains why he used to be a Tory whip. Expect politics.