Institutional and Operational Measures to Strengthen the Role of Public-Private Joint Cyber Threat Response Organizations

As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and intelligent, collaboration between national agencies and private companies has become essential. Cooperation and joint response are required throughout the entire cycle of cyber crisis management, including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. In this context, major countries, including the Republic of Korea, have established public-private joint cyber threat response organizations to respond to cyber incidents in a systematic and effective manner. By leveraging the expertise and technological capabilities of the private sector together with the resources of government, these organizations aim to enhance national cyber crisis response capacity and strengthen overall cyber defense capabilities. Representative examples include the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) in the United States and the Industry 100 (i100) initiative in the United Kingdom. In Korea, the National Cyber Risk Management Unit within the National Cybersecurity Center has been established to provide a foundation for nationwide cyber crisis response. However, to ensure that such organizations fulfill their importance and necessity, institutional and policy frameworks must be designed to provide a solid operational foundation. This study examines the desirable organizational structure, functions, roles, authority, and responsibilities of public-private joint cyber threat response organizations, as well as institutional design strategies to promote their effective operation. It analyzes the cases of the United States and the United Kingdom, which have implemented similar public-private collaboration initiatives, and the emerging case of Japan, which is actively pursuing such cooperation to strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities. The study emphasizes expanding the role of these organizations beyond cyber threat information sharing to include threat monitoring, cyber defense operational planning and execution, joint crisis response, development of defense tools, and the creation and dissemination of security guidelines. Furthermore, it proposes policy measures to encourage private sector participation and legal and institutional reforms to ensure the stable and sustainable operation of these organizations.