Once Upon a Time in Cyberspace: A Grim Reality about the Dangers of Cyberwarfare

Fernicola, Gia

doi:10.2478/iclr-2020-0004

Abstract

This Article addresses the issue of translating current international law norms and principles onto the borderless realm—cyberspace. This Article provides an overview of the United States’ and Russia’s approach to defend against a cyberattack. This Article concludes with an original, new test that resolves the discrepancies between all existing approaches to determine whether or not a cyber act is in fact an armed attack.

References

ANTONIN-KENKINS, Vida. Defining the Parameters of Cyberwar Operations: Looking for Law in all the Wrong Places?, Naval Law Review, 2005, vol. 51, pp. 132–174.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
BENATAR, Marco. The Use of Cyber Force: Need for Legal Justification, Goettingen Journal of International Law, 2009, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 376–396.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
BROWN, Gary. International Law Applies to Cyber Warfare: Now What, Southwestern Law Review, 2017, vol. 46, pp. 355–377.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
CATWRIGHT, Gen. James. Memorandum for Chiefs of the Military Services, Commanders of the Combatant Command. Directors of the Joint Staff Directories on Joint Technology for Cyberspace Operations, 2011, pp. 1–16.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
CHALLIOT PAPERS, Hacks, Leaks and Disruptions Russian Cyber Strategies, 2018, pp. 5–129.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
CHARLET, Kate. How the U.S. Approach to Cyber Conflict Evolved in 2018—and What Could Come Next. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/19/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Convention on Cybercrime, art.32, Nov. 23, 2001, E.T.S. 185.10.1353/nlh.2001.0003
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
CREEKMAN, Daniel. A Helpless America? An Examination of the Legal Options Available to the United States in Response to Various Cyber-attacks From China, American University International Law Review, 2002, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 641–681.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Critical Infrastructure Sectors. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/24/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Department of Justice. “Cyber Threats to our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure,” 2018, pp. 1–13.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
DEVER, John, DEVER, James. Cyberwarfare: Attribution, Preemption, and National Self Defense, Journal of Law & Cyber Warfare, 2013, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 25–63.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Exec. Order No. 13, 231, Critical Infrastructure Protection in the information Age, 2001, 86 Fed. Reg. 53,063.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Financial Sector Cybersecurity. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/15/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
GOSNELL HANDLER, Stephanie. New Cyber Face of Battle: Developing a Legal Approach to Accommodate Emerging Trends in Warfare, Stanford Journal of International Law, 2012, vol. 48, no.1, pp. 209–287.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
GRAHAM, David. Cyber Threats and the Law of War, National Journal of Security & Policy, 2010, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 87–102.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
GROSS, Michael, CANETTI, Daphna, VASHDI, Dana. The Psychological Effects of Cyber Terrorism. 72 Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 2016, vol. 75, no. 5, pp. 284–291.10.1080/00963402.2016.1216502
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
HATHAWAY, Oona, CROOTOF, Rebecca, LEVITZ, Phillip, NIX, Haley, NOWLAN, Aileen, PERDUE, William, SPIEGEL, Julia. The Law of Cyber-Attack, Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository, 2012, vol. 100, no. 817, pp. 817–886.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
HERBERT, Lin. Offensive Cyber Operations and the Use of Force, Journal of National Security Law & Policy, 2010, vol. 4, no. 63, pp. 63–86.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
HOISINGTON, Matthew. Cyberwarfare and the Use of Force Giving Rise to the Right of Self-Defense, Boston College International & Comparative Law Review, 2009, vol. 32, p. 439–454.10.2139/ssrn.1542223
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
HOLLIS, Duncan. Why States Need an International Law for Information Operations, Lewis & Clark Law Review, 2007, vol. 11, no.4, pp. 1023–1061.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Indictment in United States v. Ahmad Fathi, et al., No. 16-CRM-48 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
KOH, Harold. International Law in Cyberspace, Harvard International Law Journal, 2012, pp. 1–12.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
LEWIS, James. Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency, 2018, p. 1. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/1/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
MCGHEE, James. Cyber Redux: The Schmitt Analysis, Tallinn Manual and US Cyber Policy, Journal of Law & Cyber Warfare, 2013, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 64–103.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Military and Paramilitary Activities in and Against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. U.S.), 1986 I.C.J. 14. National Cyber Strategy of the United States of America. [online]. Available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/National-Cyber-Strategy.pdf Accessed: 03/22/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
PATTERSON, Ryan. Silencing the Call to Arms: A Shift away from Cyber Attacks as Warfare, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, 2015, vol. 48, pp. 969–1016.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
PRECIADO, Michael. If You Wish Cyber Peace, Prepare for Cyber War: The Need for the Federal Government to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Warfare, Journal of Law & Cyber Warfare, 2012, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 99–154.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
REDDY, Namratha. Economic Infrastructure—Into, Types, Significance. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/24/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
SANDERS, Christopher. The Battlefield of Tomorrow, Today: Can a Cyberattack Ever Rise to an “Act of War?” Utah Law Review, 2018, vol. 2018, no. 2, pp. 503–522.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
SHALINI, S. Budapest Convention on Cybercrime – An Overview. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/24/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
SHARP, Walter. Cyberspace and the Use of Force, 1999, pp. ii–234.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
SHMITT, Michael. The Law of Cyberwarfare: Quo Vadis? Stanford Law and Policy Review, 2014, vol. 25, pp. 269–299.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
SUKHARENKO, Alexander. Russian ITC Security Policy and Cybercrime. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/22/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
TALLINN MANUAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL LAW APPLICABLE TO CYBER WARFARE, pp. 1–215.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
The Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/20/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
The National Strategy for Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/24/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
TRAUTMAN, Lawrence. Cybersecurity: What About U.S. Policy, University of Illinois Journal of Technology & Policy, 2015, vol. 2015, no. 2, pp. 341–391.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
U.N. Charter.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cyber Infrastructure Sector Alert TA18-074A “Russian Government Cyber Activity Targeting Energy and Other Critical Infrastructure.” [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/12/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
VALUCH, Jozef, HAMULAK, Ondrej. Abuse of Cyberspace Within the Crisis in Ukraine, The Lawyer. Quarterly, 2018, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 94–107.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
VALUCH, Jozef, GABRIS, Tomas, HAMULAK, Ondrej. Cyber Attacks, Information Attacks, and Postmodern Warfare, Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 63–89. https://doi.org/10.1515/bjlp-2017-000310.1515/bjlp-2017-0003
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
VISHWANATH, Arun. The Internet is Already Being Weaponized. The U.S. Cyberattack on Iran Won‘t Help. [online]. Available at Accessed: 03/24/2020.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
VISNER, Samuel. Cyber Security’s Next Agenda, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 2013, pp. 89–99.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
ZHANG, Zhen. Cyberwarfare Implications for Critical Infrastructure Sectors, Homeland Security Review, 2011, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 281–296.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Once Upon a Time in Cyberspace: A Grim Reality about the Dangers of Cyberwarfare

Abstract

Paradigm

My account