Cyber War versus Cyber Realities: Cyber Conflict in the International System

Abstract

Much of the talk centered on the concept of cyber conflict and the changing dynamic of future conflict is founded on the study of spectacular flights of imagination of what could be. This book enters into the debate to push discussion of the issue toward realistic evaluation of the tactic in modern international interactions. This book’s investigation exhaustively examines information on all cyber incidents and disputes in the last decade in order to delineate the patterns of cyber conflict as reflected by evidence. The goal of this book is to develop a theory of cyber conflict, analyze the empirical patterns of cyber conflict between antagonists, investigate the impact of cyber conflict on foreign policy interactions, delve deeper with a close examination of some recent and popular cyber incidents, and finally, develop a set of policy recommendations that deal with the emerging threat. The book argues that restraint is the norm in cyberspace and suggests that there is evidence this norm can influence how the tactic is used in the future.