Conference Information

Welcome to the Duke International Security Conference 2013!  For more information about our organization, please visit the about us page.  To register for DISCon 2013, please visit the registration page.

Theme: “Security Challenges of the 21st Century: The Geopolitical Implications of Cybersecurity.”

Cybersecurity is a rising issue in international politics. On March 12, 2013, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper declared cyber espionage and cyber attacks to be the number one threat to US national security. “Cyber warfare” is now a routine fact of international competition. States use cyber espionage to spy on their own citizens and foreign governments alike. Intelligence services use it to acquire secrets ranging from weapons plans to corporate strategy documents. Famously, the Stuxnet worm targeted and sabotaged critical Iranian nuclear infrastructure—and set a precedent such attacks are now a standard component in national repertoires of covert action.

DISCon 2013 will investigate the geopolitical implications cybersecurity and cyber-espionage in the 21st century. Is cyber-espionage an outgrowth of traditional intelligence activities, or does it represent something categorically new? How will nations utilize these capabilities?  Who will benefit from its increasing importance: established great powers with big budgets, middle powers with new flexibility or other actors entirely? Will customary law or an international treaty on the conduct of cyber-warfare emerge? We look forward to your participation in a conference that will engage with all of these questions.

A link to relevant current news articles and other media can be found here.

Dates and Venue

DISCon 2013 will be held from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the Duke University Law School in Durham, NC.

Tentative Conference Schedule

  • Friday, November 1

3:00PM – 5:30PM:  Registration
6:00PM – 7:00PM:  Opening Ceremonies
7:30PM – 10:00PM:  Committee Session 1

  • Saturday, November 2

9:00AM – 11:30AM:  Committee Session 2
1:00PM – 3:00PM:  Committee Session 3
3:30PM – 6:00PM:  Committee Session 4
7:30PM –  9:30PM:  Committee Session 5
11:00PM – 2:00AM:  Delegate Social

  • Sunday, November 3

10:00AM – 12:00PM:  Committee Session 6
12:30PM – 1:30PM:  Closing Ceremonies

Accommodations

DISCon 2013 is happy to announce that the Millenium Hotel, located just a few blocks from Duke’s West Campus, will once again be the recommended accommodations for the conference.  Please return soon for more updates and details.

Mailing List

If you want to receive periodic updates of DISCon’s progress before you register, feel free to join our mailing list.

Anything Else?

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the Secretariat members.