ExclusiveinterviewwithBruceMcConnell:Cybersecurityin5Gera-ChinaandAmericaneedtoleadbyexample_GuangmingOnlineExclusiveinterviewwithBruceMcConnell:Cybersecurityin5Gera-ChinaandAmericaneedtoleadbyexampleBruceMcConnellisthePresidentandCEOoftheEastWestInstitute.Heendeavorstoreduceandmitigatesecurityconflictamongnationsandincreasethesafety,securityandstabilityoflifeincyberspace.HerewespokewithBruceMcConnelltogiveussomeinsightsintointernationalcooperationoncybersecurityinthe5Gera.GuangmingOnline:Whatdoyouthinkarethekeyfeaturesandbenefitsof5Gtechnology?BruceMcConnell:5GenableswidespreaddigitalizationandtheInternetofThings(IoT).5Ghasthepotentialtosupportincreasedinnovationandeconomicdevelopment,anditincreasesdigitalmobilitywhichhasprovenveryimportantduringthepandemic.GuangmingOnline:You’vetalkedabouttherisksalongwithbenefitsthat5GwouldbringtotheenvironmentattheWICForumon5GEmpowerment.Asweknow,5Gnetworkwillintroduceaseriesofkeytechnologies,suchasvirtualization,SoftwareDefinedNetwork(SDN)andOpenFlowProtocol.Howwilltheseunderlyingtechnologiesin5Gnetworkaffectcybersecurity?Willthe5Gcyberrisksbefundamentallydifferentfromthoseofits4Gpredecessor?BruceMcConnell:Ithinktherisksarenotfundamentallydifferent,buttherearenewriskscausedbycomplexity,scaleandtheinteractivityofthousandsofdifferentcomponents.Thesefactorscreateariskofnetworkfailurewhichcouldcauseharmtothebusinessesandindividualswhichdependonthe5Gnetworkfortheirlivelihood.GuangmingOnline:In5Gdeployment,theconceptof“security-by-design”wasputforwardtostresstheneedofdesigningasecure5Garchitecturefromthestart.Comparedto4G,does5Grequireasetofnewapproachestocybersecurity?BruceMcConnell:Thebiggestdifferencewith5Gisthemovementofnetworkingpowertotheedgeasopposedtothecore.Itisnolongerahub-and-spokenetwork.Itismorelikeapeer-to-peernetworksosecuritybecomesaverylocalissue.Wearenotusedtothinkingaboutcybersecuritythatway.Thefocushastraditionallybeenonthecentralnodesofthenetwork.GuangmingOnline:Howdoyouseethedevelopmentof5GinChina?BruceMcConnell:Certainly,5GtechnologythathascomefromChinaisverypowerfulandadvanced.Ithinkwhatwillworkbestisifallcountriesdowhattheydowellandtherestofuscanbenefitfromthecombinationoftechnologiesthatisavailable.IhavenodoubtthatChinawillhaveastrong5Gnetwork.GuangmingOnline:Asyoumentionedbefore,differentculturesandpoliticalsystemswillnourishdifferentvalues.Country-specificdifferencesalsooccurincyberspacewhenitcomestotheperceptionsofcybersovereignty,informationsecurity,cyberfreedomandcyberhumanrights.Underthiscircumstance,howcanChinaandtheU.S.promoteconsensusoncommongovernanceofcyberspace?BruceMcConnell:Weshouldstartwithwhatweagreeon.BothcountrieshavealreadyagreedattheUnitedNationstoprinciplesofresponsiblebehaviorincyberspace.Theseincludenotattackingcriticalinfrastructure,includingtheinternetitselfandpunishinginternationalcybercriminalswhoareoperatingfrominsidetheirownterritories.Theseinformalrulesoftheroadneedtobemadebindingbyaformalagreementandthenationsneedtofollowthem.Thatwouldbeagoodstart.LookingaheadwecanimaginetherewillbemanyissuesbetweenChinaandtheU.S.,butintoday'sworld,cooperationandcompetitionarebothneededandweshouldmovetobalancethem.GuangmingOnline:Thisyear,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingsentacongratulatorylettertoWICandnotedthatChinaisalsowillingtoworkwithothercountriesintheworldtomakethedigitalcivilizationbenefitpeopleofallcountries,andpromotethebuildingofacommunitywithasharedfutureforhumankind.Asyouseeit,howwillChinaandtheU.S.deepencooperationoncybersecurityandworktogethertomovetowardsasharedfutureincyberspace?BruceMcConnell:Cooperationmustbeginwithsmallsteps.Weneedtostartworkingonthingswealreadyagreeon.Wealsoneedtocooperateonhelpingdevelopingcountriesunderstandandbenefitfromcyberspace.Thehumanspeciesisingreatdangerfromdiseaseandclimatechange.Timesisshortandwemustallworkhardertomakethefuturebetter.ChinaandAmericaneedtoleadbyexampletocreateaglobalchangeinattitude.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.