The EastWest Institute and the Data Security Council of India released a report today laying out several recommendations to begin building the legal, technical and administrative foundations for an international system to secure cyberspace.

The study, The Cybersecurity Agenda: Mobilizing for International Action, calls for the collaborative use of defensive technology, information gathering, astute analysis and traditional diplomacy to defend global information and communications systems.

Above all, the study urges governments and businesses around the world to work not as competitors but as partners to ensure cybersecurity.

“No country or entity can achieve universal dominance in cyberspace,” said Kamlesh Bajaj, author of the report and CEO of the Data Security Council of India.

“All countries must work together to manage grave and growing cyber risks that can have a direct and devastating impact on the world’s people and economy.”

Among the report’s recommendations: creation of an international network of national nodal centers that engage both public and private sectors; establishment of emergency response teams and an international clearing house to serve as an early-watch-and-warning system; and development of legal norms to address issues of territorial jurisdiction, sovereign responsibility and the use of force.

“Cybersecurity lies at the nexus of policy, law, ethics and national security,” said Bajaj.

“We cannot manage the risks inherent in cyberspace without the active involvement of private and public sectors around the world.”

“Businesses and governments must act immediately to catch up with the rapidly proliferating threats to the communications networks and the world’s digital economy,” added Greg Austin, Vice President of Program Development at the EastWest Institute.

“This report provides an extremely useful starting point, and we will work to ensure it gets the attention it demands.”