Red Cross plans digital emblem to protect humanitarian services from cyberattacks
Digital signature would identify online infrastructure protected under Geneva Conventions
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has unveiled a prototype of a digital emblem designed to protect the online infrastructure of humanitarian organizations and health services during armed conflicts, Swissinfo reported on Monday.
Developed with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), the prototype was presented at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) headquarters in Geneva on July 9.
Humanitarian organizations and health services are increasingly being targeted both physically, including during Israeli bombardments in Gaza, and online, where cyberattacks can have real human consequences, according to the report.
Hospitals and aid organizations rely heavily on data, servers, and digital networks to provide essential services.
When they are targeted, “medical care is delayed, ambulances can’t be dispatched, and families are left without news of their missing loved ones,” ICRC Director-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said.
“Aid doesn’t reach those who need it, people suffer, and lives can be lost,” he added.
Similar to the traditional Red Cross emblem displayed on hospitals and ambulances, the digital version would identify online infrastructure protected under international humanitarian law.
Rather than a visible symbol, it would take the form of a cryptographic signature certifying digital infrastructure belonging to the ICRC, national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and military and civilian health services.
The emblem, however, would not guarantee immunity from cyberattacks, just as the traditional Red Cross symbol does not ensure complete protection against physical attacks.
In 2022, the ICRC was hit by a cyberattack involving servers containing the personal data of more than 515,000 people worldwide.
The UN World Food Programme was also hacked in May, exposing sensitive information concerning about 600,000 households in Gaza.
Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, medical facilities, personnel and transport units are protected during armed conflicts.
“Medical and medical-transport units are already protected under international humanitarian law,” ICRC legal adviser Samit D’Cunha said. “The goal of the digital emblem is to make that protection apparent” online.
Several national Red Cross societies have tested the prototype. The next phase will involve further testing and the development of internationally recognized technical standards.
