THE ROLE OF CYBERSECURITY IN GLOBAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL RESPONSE INITIATIVE

ABSTRACT The study investigates the subject of cybersecurity and global response, focusing on the role of cybersecurity in global crisis management. The problem this study addresses is the continuous rise and increase in sophistication regarding cyberattacks, threatening critical infrastructures, financial systems, and personal data worldwide. The efforts being carried out by various international bodies hardly match the sophistication and variety of these cyber threats. While countries fight to secure cyberspace, the need for a harmonized, efficient, and truly inclusive global approach to mitigate these threats remains paramount. The study is qualitative, and it uses data in relation to both theoretical and empirical insights into the nature of the cybersecurity threat and the evolution of international responses at the level of effectiveness of existing frameworks, collaborations, and state-led initiatives. The findings indicate that the evidence of cyber-attacks has become so pervasive among on critical infrastructure entities, government entities, and enterprises in the private sector that such attacks make international operations highly disrupting and economically hazardous. Also, the results of this study, confirm that progress made on these frameworks has been relevant to an extent, through international frameworks such as the Budapest Convention, UN GGE, among others. Despite these efforts, there remains gap with partial legal and regulatory gaps, geopolitical tension, and unwilling private sectors to share threat intelligence. The study concludes, therefore, with the need for increased international cooperation through binding agreements so that holistically the challenge of cybersecurity is addressed. These include advancing public-priv…