Description

Total length of the course: 4+ hours

Although cyber operations do not happen in a legal vacuum, the rules that govern them are contested, incomplete, and often misunderstood. In this course, explore the humanitarian consequences of modern cybercrime and state-sponsored disruption, the international legal frameworks that apply to cyber operations in peacetime and armed conflict, and the emerging domain of cognitive warfare, where the target is not systems but minds.

Content details

The humanitarian consequences of cyber operations "as-a-service"
Introduction
Background to the “as-a-Service” model
Crimeware “as-a-Service” (CaaS)
Ransomware “as-a-Service” (RaaS)
Hacktivism “as-a-Service” (HaaS)
“As-a-Service” model – advantages and risks
“As-a-Service” model – humanitarian consequences
The humanitarian consequences of cyber operations in conflict
Introduction
State-sponsored cyber operations
Disruptive & destructive cyber operations
Spread of harmful information
Civilianization of digital conflict
Hacktivism-as-a-service in armed conflicts
Conclusion: humanitarian consequences
International law and cyber operations in peacetime
Introduction
Applying international law to “cyberspace”
Treaties and customary international law
International law and norms
Sovereignty and cyberspace
What about espionage?
Due diligence in cyberspace
Due diligence: when is it violated?
Non-intervention in cyberspace
State responsibility
Attribution
Countermeasures
Necessity
Conclusion
International law and cyber operations: use of force and armed conflict
Introduction
Overview of the applicable legal framework
Use of force and self-defence in the cyber context
What is a cyber use of force?
Exceptions to prohibition on use of force
The right to use (cyber) force in self-defence
Cyber operations during armed conflict
The protection challenge
The civilianisation trend
Direct participation in hostilities: three criteria
The humanitarian consequences of cognitive warfare
Introduction
Five areas of transformation
Cognitive warfare / cognitive superiority
Defence mechanisms
Additional information
References