The impact of international cybersecurity treaties on domestic cybercrime control and national critical infrastructure protection
Legal Department, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Nigeria.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 20(03), 2285-2304
Publication history:
Received on 04 November 2023; revised on 23 December 2023; accepted on 28 December 2023
Abstract:
The rising frequency and severity of cyberattacks have elevated cybersecurity to a global policy imperative, prompting the negotiation and ratification of international cybersecurity treaties. These agreements aim to foster cross-border cooperation, streamline legal standards, and create mechanisms for joint response to cyber threats. This paper critically examines the impact of such international cybersecurity treaties on domestic efforts to control cybercrime and safeguard national critical infrastructure. Beginning with an overview of the evolving international cybersecurity landscape, the paper explores how treaties such as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the UN Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on cybersecurity, and regional frameworks like the African Union’s Malabo Convention influence national legislation and enforcement practices. The study then assesses how these treaties translate into domestic legal reforms, including criminal code modernization, institutional capacity building, and the adoption of norms for cyber threat intelligence sharing. Particular attention is paid to the implementation challenges in lower-resourced states, where regulatory gaps, enforcement limitations, and political reluctance often dilute treaty effectiveness. Through comparative case studies from the European Union, the United States, and Southeast Asia, the research highlights divergent outcomes in treaty adoption and efficacy. It further evaluates how international legal instruments have directly contributed to the resilience of critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, finance, healthcare, and transportation through mandated compliance standards and collaborative incident response protocols. Despite notable progress, challenges persist—ranging from geopolitical fragmentation and data sovereignty concerns to inadequate enforcement mechanisms. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for enhancing treaty effectiveness through improved capacity development, multilateral trust-building, and context-specific implementation strategies.
Keywords:
International Cybersecurity Treaties; Cybercrime Control; Critical Infrastructure Protection; Domestic Legal Reform; Cyber Cooperation; Treaty Implementation
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0