European governments wonder whether Trump will continue US support for Ukraine and NATO in the conflict with Russia, which is partly ongoing played in cyberspaceFick's team had an important contribution in this establish a process To rapidly deliver cyber-defense assistance to Ukraine's battered government.
“Just before Christmas I was in Ukraine, I was in Poland, I was in Estonia, up and down the eastern flank of NATO,” he says, adding that he “engaged with the United States There is a deep desire to stay and a recognition that European partners need to make their contribution – which, by the way, they are increasingly doing.”
More broadly, Fike has heard “a strong desire among many allies and partners” for the US to keep pace with China and Russia in technical and cyber discussions in international bodies such as the United Nations and the Group of 20.
“Without the United States being deeply involved, you will see the Chinese becoming more deeply involved, you will see the Russians becoming more deeply involved,” Fike says. “There's a very broad approach [globally] “The United States must remain involved in multilateral organizations for its own interests and for the interests of its allies and partners.”
Fike is sympathetic to Republicans who view these multilateral organizations as too slow and timid, but he wants Trump's team to “recognize that the alternative is not to have less influence than these organizations;” The alternative is simply that they become a level playing field for our competitors and our adversaries.
Celebrating “a big change”
Reflecting on his time as America's Cyber Ambassador – in which he spent more than 200 days around the world on nearly 80 trips to meet with key US allies and partners – Fike is proud of how his team launched an entirely new bureau inside the State Department, grew it to about 130 employees, and delivered results he says are transforming digital diplomacy.
One of his biggest achievements was the launch of an overseas cyber assistance fund He will support programs Deploying security assistance to hack-stricken allies, subsidizing new undersea cables, and training foreign diplomats on cyber issues.
An initial test of the security-assistance project took place in November when Costa Rica suffered another major ransomware attack. “The next morning, Thanksgiving morning, we had people on the plane with our Costa Rican partners, hands on keyboards,” Fick says. “That's amazing. It's a huge change in the way we do this, and it will strengthen our hand in providing aid to these middle-land states.
While achieving its mission, FICK has also focused on preparing the Foreign Service for the modern world Training at least one tech-savvy diplomat Successfully lobbied to add digital fluency to the State Department's criteria for every foreign embassy (about 237 total) and career ambassador positions. He has also helped State balance the Pentagon's discussions with the White House about foreign technology issues – “bringing American diplomacy virtually back to the table in the Situation Room on technology topics.”
And then there's his team's support for U.S. cyber assistance to Ukraine, from security software to satellite communications to cloud migration for critical government data — work that he says provides a template for future public-private foreign aid partnerships. Does.
a final warning
Fike has shared his views with Trump's transition team about China, 5G, AI, deterrence and other cyber issues, and he says there is still plenty to do to keep cyber diplomacy “front and center” at State. Something remains to be done. But as he prepares to leave the government, he has a big piece of advice for the incoming administration.
“We have to have a bias for action,” he says. “We tend to stare at a problem for too long rather than taking decisive action to solve it… That decisive action may be incomplete, but Indecision is a decision, and the world moves on even without you.”
Put another way: In an age of rapidly evolving technologies and intensifying geopolitical competition, a massive bureaucracy like the State Department sometimes needs a jolt into action.
“The job of leaders in these large organizations is to move the organization forward a little faster than the change itself,” Fick says.