Red Cross launches cyber emblem prototype

The International Committee of the Red Cross has launched a prototype digital emblem designed to identify protected humanitarian and medical computer systems in armed conflict.

The ICRC presented the prototype Thursday at CERN near Geneva, saying it was an important step toward making the Red Cross and medical protections recognisable in online environments.

The system, called the Authentic Digital Emblem, is intended to place a marker inside internet protocol code so cyber operators can see that a digital system belongs to protected humanitarian or health infrastructure. ICRC officials said the emblem uses cryptographic certificates to help ensure it is used only for those systems.

ICRC legal official Cordula Droege said cyber operations are subject to the same international law bans on attacking civilian objects, including medical facilities, in armed conflict. She said the digital emblem would not create legal protection but would make existing protection visible.

The prototype will now be tested under realistic conditions, including by states, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and technology companies. The ICRC said technical standards still need to be developed before it seeks legal incorporation of the emblem in the Geneva Conventions, a process that could take years.