Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace – International Norms and the Role of the EU in Cyberdiplomacy

12.11.2024

The Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), will be hosting a three-day workshop titled "Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace: International Norms and the Role of the EU in Cyberdiplomacy" from 12 to 14 November. This event brings together experts from across the region and the EU to explore critical aspects of cyberdiplomacy, focusing on international norms, the role of international law in cyberspace, and the European Union's efforts in fostering cyber cooperation.

Workshop Highlights:

Day 1: An in-depth exploration of the UN Framework on Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace, including key components such as UN norms, international law, capacity building, and confidence-building measures.
Day 2: A detailed examination of the EU’s cyber ecosystem and its collaborative efforts with the Western Balkans to enhance regional cybersecurity cooperation.
Day 3: A hands-on tabletop exercise simulating international cooperation and national coordination in response to a cyber incident.

Why Cyberdiplomacy Matters

As cyber threats continue to evolve, the importance of diplomatic engagement to establish rules of behavior in cyberspace has never been more crucial. Cyberdiplomacy plays a key role in preventing cyber conflicts, promoting trust between nations and ensuring a stable and secure digital environment. The European Union, with its robust cyber ecosystem and diplomatic efforts, is at the forefront of shaping these international norms.

WB3C is actively contributing to these efforts by providing a platform for regional and international cooperation, training and capacity-building. By hosting workshops such as this, WB3C strengthens the ability of Western Balkans countries to engage in global cyberdiplomacy and contribute to the development of a secure and resilient cyberspace.

Other news and events

Training of Trainers on OSINT and Dark Web

This week, WB3C is hosting a Training of Trainers on cybercrime, organised in cooperation with EU4FAST and CIVIPOL.
Eleven police representatives and prosecutors from the Western Balkans are taking part, with a goal to strengthen their ability to pass the knowledge on through national-level training.
The programme is delivered by Cyril CORRIAS and Caterina Baglivi and covers the fundamentals and evolving landscape of cybercrime, cyber-related offences, OSINT, the Dark Web and cryptocurrencies.
The focus is not only on learning the subject matter, but on helping participants turn that knowledge into training they can use with colleagues in their own institutions.

Visit by EU Member State Representatives

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting a delegation of EU Member State representatives visiting Montenegro in the context of its EU accession process.
The visit, organised by the Embassy of Ireland and led by Kevin Colgan, Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, provided an opportunity for the delegation to learn more about the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre, its regional mandate and the role it plays in strengthening cybersecurity capacities across the Western Balkans, presented by Gilles Schwoerer, our Director of Studies.
The discussion focused on how WB3C works with institutions and partners across the region, the Centre’s main areas of activity and the importance of sustained regional cooperation as the Western Balkans move closer to the European Union.
The meeting was intentionally informal and open, allowing for a useful exchange on the region’s cybersecurity needs, capacity-building priorities and the contribution that initiatives such as WB3C can make to wider resilience and EU integration.
Our thanks to the Embassy of Ireland for initiating the visit and to the members of the delegation for their interest, questions and thoughtful discussion.

Business Continuity Management for Critical Infrastructure

When a cyber incident disrupts operations, the real test is not only how quickly it can be contained — but whether essential services can continue.

That was the focus of this week’s three-day Business Continuity Management (BCM) for Critical Entities training in WB3C.

Led by Mladen Bukilic, SOC Manager and CISO at Čikom, the programme took participants through the practical building blocks of business continuity: ISO 22301 principles, Business Impact Analysis, cyber risk assessment, continuity strategies, crisis management, incident response, and the development and testing of Business Continuity Plans.
A strong emphasis was placed on identifying critical functions and dependencies, understanding the operational impact of disruption, and translating risk assessments into realistic continuity and recovery arrangements. The training also explored how BCM connects with cyber incident response and crisis management — an increasingly important issue for entities providing essential services.
Participants came from sectors including energy, water, healthcare, transport, telecommunications, finance, public administration and digital infrastructure, which made the exchange of practical experience particularly valuable.
Many thanks to the trainer and the participants for an engaging three days.