Challenges and opportunities in cyber weapon norm construction

Abstract

Over the past two decades, cyber weapons have become a topic of increasing scholarly attention. The spread of offensive cyber capabilities among state and non-state actors has given rise to calls for more formal procedures concerning their acquisition, use and transfer. Despite Stuxnet being the only cyber weapon to date demonstrating destructive capability in theatre, there has been widespread unease among public and private actors. The spread of offensive cyber capabilities among state and non-state actors has given rise to calls for more formal procedures concerning their acquisition, use and transfer. However, even against the background of potentially far-reaching effects on civilian and economic infrastructures, consensus on how to regulate cyber weapons appears hard to come by. Jacqueline Eggenschwiler and Jantje Silomon of the University of Oxford explore the opportunities related to cyber weapons norm construction, examining the academic literature and policy documents and detailing the challenges.