Cyber Diplomacy in the United States and Estonia

As nations evolve technologically, their governments have begun to increasingly rely on cyber diplomacy to combat cyberspace threats. As a result, it is imperative for governments to improve their methods and strategies. This paper examines the landscape of cyber diplomacy with a comparative analysis of the United States and Estonia to determine the areas of improvement for the United States. Estonia is a good example to compare the approach of the United States due to its innovative institutions, rooted in lessons from the 2007 cyber attacks. While the United States has made legislative and organizational strides, such as through the Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2021 and the creation of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, the United States is overreliant on international partnerships, underutilizing domestic actors. On the other hand, Estonia uses a whole-of-country model, incorporating government, private sector, and civilian actors. Because Estonia does this, the country can incorporate a variety of perspectives when it comes to making decisions. To achieve this whole-of-country approach, the United States should attempt to employ people from different backgrounds for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, and the bureau should create goals that call for a whole-of-country approach.