CYBER-OPERATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Abstract

States around the world are constantly conducting (or participating in conducting) cyber-operations, using cyberspace to achieve national goals. Defensive and offensive actions in cyberspace are officially the part of strategic documents of the biggest state players in the international relations. Nevertheless, activities in cyberspace are regulated not only by national legislation, norms of international law apply to them also. The text attempts to determine the nature of such terms as: armed cyber-attack (under Article 51 of the UN Charter), use of force (under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter), cyber-attack and cyber-conflict (under international humanitarian law) and answer the question: under what conditions could the different cyber-operations be attributed to these terms, that imply the possibility of eventual responses or demands by victim parties consistent with international standards? The analysis is interdisciplinary in nature and will be particularly useful to researchers of international political and/or military relations and those interested in aspects of international security.