UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Digital technology offers an incredible opportunity to create a more just, equal, sustainable and peaceful future for all, but malicious activity online erodes trust, fuels tensions, and even sows the seeds of violence and conflict, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday.

Breakthroughs in digital technologies are happening "at warp speed," Guterres said in remarks to the UN Security Council's High-Level Debate on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Addressing Evolving Threats in Cyberspace."

Given the clear and growing links between cyberspace and global peace and security, the UN Security Council can also play a key role by integrating cyber-related considerations into its existing workstreams and resolutions, he said.

"Peace and security in the physical world demand new approaches to peace and security in the digital world," the UN chief stressed.

Digital advances are revolutionizing economies and societies; bringing people together; delivering information, news, knowledge, and education at the tap of a screen or click of a mouse; providing citizens with access to government services and institutions; and supercharging economies, trade and financial inclusion, he said.

"But the very quality of seamless, instant connectivity that powers the enormous benefits of cyberspace can also leave people, institutions and entire countries deeply vulnerable," the UN chief warned, stating, "And the perils of weaponizing digital technologies are growing by the year."

According to Guterres, malicious activity in cyberspace is on the rise by both state and non-state actors, and by outright criminals.

He listed as examples breaches of essential public services like healthcare, banking and telecommunications; relentless illicit activity, including by criminal organizations; "a legion of hate merchants" littering the information superhighway with fear and division; and the increasing use of cyberspace as another weapon in ongoing armed conflicts.

"So-called civilian 'hacktivists' are entering the fray, and in many cases are blurring the line between combatants and civilians," and the growing integration of digital tools with weapon systems presents new vulnerabilities, Guterres pointed out.

Noting that the misuse of digital technology is becoming more sophisticated and stealthy, the top UN official said "malware, wipers and trojans are proliferating."

AI-enabled cyber operations are multiplying the threat, and quantum computing could break down entire systems with its ability to breach encryption, he added.

Software vulnerabilities are being exploited, and supply chains are being actively targeted, with ransomware becoming a huge threat to public and private institutions and the critical infrastructure people depend on, Guterres emphasized.

According to some estimates, total ransomware payments reached 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Beyond the financial costs are the costs to peace, security and stability -- both within countries and among them, he said.

Digital technology offers an incredible opportunity to create a more just, equal, sustainable and peaceful future for all, but "breakthroughs must be oriented towards the good," he noted.

The New Agenda for Peace places prevention at the heart of all peace efforts, calling for developing strong frameworks in line with international law, human rights and the UN charter, and focusing efforts by all states to prevent the extension and escalation of conflicts within, and through, cyberspace, said the UN chief.

As reflected in the New Vision for the Rule of Law, the rule of law must exist in the digital sphere as it does in the physical world, he said.

Welcoming the UN General Assembly's commitment to action in this area, Guterres said states are building on the universally endorsed normative framework of responsible state behaviour in the use of these technologies, and are actively considering the applicability of international law to state activities in this domain.

Under the auspices of the General Assembly, member states are working to reach consensus on a new cybercrime treaty in the coming months, he said.

The pact that will emerge from this September's Summit of the Future represents a pivotal chance to support the maintenance of international peace and security in cyberspace, said Guterres.

According to Guterres, his High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence is completing its final report on how the world body can govern Artificial Intelligence for humanity while addressing its risks and uncertainties. ■