The Potential Benefits and Challenges of a BRICS+ Agency for Cybersecurity Intelligence Exchange

Abstract

The Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) nations lack a cohesive cybersecurity framework for intelligence exchange. The proposed expansion of the BRICS bloc calls for a BRICS+ agency dedicated to cybersecurity information sharing and analysis. Information Sharing and Analysis Centres (ISACs) are successful not-for-profit entities that centralise resources for gathering, analysing, and disseminating cybersecurity intelligence. However, founding a BRICS+ ISAC confronts challenges such as coordination complexity, financial constraints, trust deficits, linguistic diversity, and disparate legislative landscapes. This paper proposes a novel hybrid ISAC architectural model that amalgamates centralised and decentralised elements, presenting a tailored solution for the multifaceted needs of the expanding BRICS+ entity. The innovation of this model lies in its capacity to enhance cybersecurity resilience, promote efficient intelligence exchange, elevate the BRICS+ international standing, and solidify inter-nation collaboration, while being flexible enough to cater to the specific legal, cultural, and technological variances across member countries. The proposed model's uniqueness and adaptability position it as the premier choice for actualising the BRICS+ vision for a unified cyber front.