The “Petnica Group”: A Case of Public-Private Partnership for Cyber Security in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The article presents the case of the development of an informal public-private partnership in cyber security in the Republic of Serbia. Built as a bottom-up initiative and supported by several international organizations working in the field, the public-private framework now poses as a functioning forum for information, knowledge, and experience exchange among key public and private actors. Now officially branded as the Cyber Security Nexus, previously known as the informal “Petnica Group,” the framework is a recognized body for public-private cooperation. Its regular activities range from debates and consultations on policy development, joint efforts aimed at developing national incident response procedures, and now national cyber security drills as the latest addition. This case of public-private partnership demonstrates how efficient and effective frameworks can be built and how they can contribute to national efforts and capacities even when official, legislative mechanisms are still in their early stages of development.