Cyber diplomacy as a norm preservation tool: Romania’s behaviour as a norm antipreneur in cyber security

Cyberspace has evolved into a key arena and focal point of international affairs. Most state actors have thus used cyber diplomacy to advocate cyber security techniques in response to attacks that frequently target national key infrastructures and risk political regime stability. While some states advocate for the contentious new active cyber defense approach, others continue to rely on the current passive cyber defense norm. Previous contributions have identified technical, legal, and political elements impacting state decision-making. No prior research, however, has provided normative explanations for their cyber security proclivities. Using the norm life cycle theory, this study aims to explain why Romania employs passive cyber defense. Empirical evidence from one military and two civilian institutions – National Center CYBERINT, National Cyber Security Directorate, and The Romanian Association for Information Security Assurance – as well as the content of Romania's National Cyber Security Strategy 2.0 show that, in terms of cyber diplomacy, Romania promotes itself internally and externally as endorsing the passive cyber defense approach. My study shows that Romania is a norm antipreneur, contesting the emerging active cyber defense trend while cultivating its people's resilience through courses, webinars, cyber security guides, and recommendations, weekly news, detected and countered cyber incidents, and public-private partnerships.