Cyber Warfare
60 Articles
U.S. Offensive Cyber Operations against Economic Cyber Intrusions: An International Law Analysis – Part I
On June 11, 2019, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton announced that U.S. offensive cyber operations would be expanded beyond countering election interference to…
Top Expert Backgrounder: Aborted U.S. Strike, Cyber Operation Against Iran and International Law
"It is difficult to definitely conclude that the proposed U.S. kinetic strikes would have been valid exercises of self-defense."
When To Use the ‘Nuclear Option?’ Why Knocking Russia Offline Is a Bad Idea
The news about the November 2018 Cyber Command operation that knocked the notorious Russian troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, offline before the U.S. midterm elections…
Canada Considers Most Far-Reaching Intell Reforms in Decades
The proposed bill strikes a healthy balance between facing up to new cyber-threats and ensuring accountability and oversight.
Countering Russian Election Hacks
Explainer on the legal triggers, limits, and powers of Pentagon's new authority to prepare and conduct cyber response if Russia hacks into midterms votes.
Psy-Ops, Meet Cyber-Ops: U.S. Takes on Russian Trolls
A Russian troll sits down at his desktop and logs into one of the social media accounts he uses to impersonate and radicalize Americans. Suddenly, a direct message appears: “Hello,…
Planning for ‘Cyber Fallout’ After the Iranian Nuclear Deal
Keep your cyber tools close, your history books closer. For some, the signing of the July 2015 Iran nuclear deal might appear as a “watershed moment” for abating the…
17 Years Later: Applying Post-9/11 Lessons to Potential Cyber Attacks
Seventeen years ago today, Americans learned all too tragically that, as the 9/11 Commission later put it, “the system was blinking red” for a reason. Our country, we came…
All Hands on Deck: Cyber Attacks Against Private Companies and International Law
Last Wednesday, reports surfaced that the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing had been hit by a serious ransomware attack. A leaked internal memo suggested that some production equipment…
Cyber Operations and the U.S. Definition of “Armed Attack”
[Ed. Note: Based on Goodman's remarks at U.S. Cyber Command’s Annual Legal Conference.]
A widely accepted view of the UN Charter is that a State can use force…
A widely accepted view of the UN Charter is that a State can use force…
Outlook on International Cyber Norms: Three Avenues for Future Progress
“It’s high time to have a serious discussion about the international legal framework in which cyberwars take place,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said during his…
A Checklist for Protecting Our Elections from Foreign Meddling
Vice President and General Counsel for Facebook Colin Stretch, General Counsel for Twitter Sean Edgett, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Google Kent Walker at…