Notes on the lectures from the course (2024) Cyber Conflict in International Relations. INCLUDES
notes from lectures 1-8 (Total: 30 pages).
Cyber Conflict in International Relations Lecture Notes (Lectures 1-8)
Table of Contents
Lecture 1: Introduction & Overview 1
Lecture 2: Cyber War - Conceptual Challenges 2
Lecture 3: Writing a Literature Review 7
Lecture 4: Peacetime Cyber Operations Under International Law (From Cyber Espionage
to Cyber Disruption) 10
Lecture 5: How States Organise to Protect Cyberspace 15
Lecture 6: Cyber Conflict & States’ Responses Under IL 19
Lecture 7: States’ Legal & Political Responses to Cyber Operations 23
Lecture 8: Hacking the human mind? 25
, 1
Lecture 1: Introduction & Overview
Why study cyber conflict?
Our lives are increasingly online (economy, society, politics):
1. National security threats = the use of cyberspace exposes new vulnerabilities & a critical
dependence. Cyber conflict has become a central feature of international competition.
➔ States increasingly use cyber capabilities to pursue national goals.
2. Influence on domestic political affairs (e.g. election interference).
3. The application of International Law (IL) & norms in cyberspace:
➔ Does IL apply to cyberspace? “Peacetime” cyber operations vs. “cyber conflict”.
➔ How do states respond to cyber activities? How do they organise themselves to
respond to it together? Cyber diplomacy, collective attributions, sanctions.
➔ What are the non-binding norms of responsible state cyber behaviour?
Using the Lens of Political Science & International Relations (IR)
Political Science: Systematic study, attempting to understand the political world via:
● The scientific method:
1. Research question (RQ)
2. Literature review
3. Theories/hypotheses
4. Data collection
5. Hypotheses tests
6. Results (answers the RQ, literature contribution).
● Probabilistic science = using statistical models to understand relationships between
variables.
● Normative vs. empirical.
International Relations (IR): Subfield of political science, focusing on how states compete &
cooperate in the international system.
➔ Theories of IR (e.g. International Security, International Political Economy, International Law
& Organisation, foreign policy & diplomacy, state & non-state actors, human rights, area
studies).
Big questions:
● How should cyberspace be governed? (International treaties? National firewalls?)
● Should we be concerned about cyber war?
● What does the cyber threat look like?
● What is the role of cyber norms?
● How do we effectively secure cyberspace from the perspective of national cybersecurity strategy?
● How do we deal with attribution & response to cyber incidents?
● How do we secure domestic populations from foreign influence?
● How do we measure cyber conflict?
notes from lectures 1-8 (Total: 30 pages).
Cyber Conflict in International Relations Lecture Notes (Lectures 1-8)
Table of Contents
Lecture 1: Introduction & Overview 1
Lecture 2: Cyber War - Conceptual Challenges 2
Lecture 3: Writing a Literature Review 7
Lecture 4: Peacetime Cyber Operations Under International Law (From Cyber Espionage
to Cyber Disruption) 10
Lecture 5: How States Organise to Protect Cyberspace 15
Lecture 6: Cyber Conflict & States’ Responses Under IL 19
Lecture 7: States’ Legal & Political Responses to Cyber Operations 23
Lecture 8: Hacking the human mind? 25
, 1
Lecture 1: Introduction & Overview
Why study cyber conflict?
Our lives are increasingly online (economy, society, politics):
1. National security threats = the use of cyberspace exposes new vulnerabilities & a critical
dependence. Cyber conflict has become a central feature of international competition.
➔ States increasingly use cyber capabilities to pursue national goals.
2. Influence on domestic political affairs (e.g. election interference).
3. The application of International Law (IL) & norms in cyberspace:
➔ Does IL apply to cyberspace? “Peacetime” cyber operations vs. “cyber conflict”.
➔ How do states respond to cyber activities? How do they organise themselves to
respond to it together? Cyber diplomacy, collective attributions, sanctions.
➔ What are the non-binding norms of responsible state cyber behaviour?
Using the Lens of Political Science & International Relations (IR)
Political Science: Systematic study, attempting to understand the political world via:
● The scientific method:
1. Research question (RQ)
2. Literature review
3. Theories/hypotheses
4. Data collection
5. Hypotheses tests
6. Results (answers the RQ, literature contribution).
● Probabilistic science = using statistical models to understand relationships between
variables.
● Normative vs. empirical.
International Relations (IR): Subfield of political science, focusing on how states compete &
cooperate in the international system.
➔ Theories of IR (e.g. International Security, International Political Economy, International Law
& Organisation, foreign policy & diplomacy, state & non-state actors, human rights, area
studies).
Big questions:
● How should cyberspace be governed? (International treaties? National firewalls?)
● Should we be concerned about cyber war?
● What does the cyber threat look like?
● What is the role of cyber norms?
● How do we effectively secure cyberspace from the perspective of national cybersecurity strategy?
● How do we deal with attribution & response to cyber incidents?
● How do we secure domestic populations from foreign influence?
● How do we measure cyber conflict?
