Cyber espionage and international law

Buchan, Russell

doi:10.4337/9781782547396.00018

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…espionage is illegal), the illegality of espionage is sustainable only as far as a violation of territorial sovereignty and non-intervention occurs. Such a conclusion is also consistent with the undisputed practice of passive intelligence reconnaissance towards a foreign State, exercised by another State from its territory, the high seas or even outer space 4 .…”

Section: International Law Perspectivesupporting

confidence: 80%

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Over Cyber Espionage: A New Trend in International Law Or Just an Example of Lawfare

GIOVANNELLI¹

2022

Contemporary Military Challenges

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States' practice shows that intelligence agencies have carried out not only espionage, but also other, less noble activities, such as hybrid warfare. Traditionally, international law tolerates espionage, while domestic criminal law generally allows its prosecution. However, this precarious equilibrium is changing due to the growth in cyber espionage, which allows espionage to be carried out more effectively. Not surprisingly, there is increasing interest in States’ practice, as new legal instruments for exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction over cyber espionage have been adopted. This article tries to assess whether these new legal instruments should be considered a new trend in international law, or a sporadic exercise of lawfare. Key words Extraterritorial jurisdiction, cyber espionage, lawfare, improper foreign influence, economic espionage. Povzetek Praksa v državah kaže, da obveščevalne agencije ne izvajajo le vohunjenja, temveč tudi druge, manj plemenite dejavnosti, kot je hibridno vojskovanje. Mednarodno pravo tradicionalno dopušča vohunjenje, domače kazensko pravo pa navadno omogoča njegov pregon. Ne glede na to se nestabilno ravnovesje zaradi rasti kibernetskega vohunjenja, ki omogoča učinkovitejše izvajanje, spreminja. Ni presenetljivo, da se povečuje zanimanje za prakso držav, saj so bili sprejeti novi pravni instrumenti za izvajanje zunajozemeljske pristojnosti nad kibernetskim vohunjenjem. V članku poskušamo oceniti, ali je treba nove pravne instrumente obravnavati kot nov pojav v mednarodnem pravu ali kot občasno uporabo prava kot orožja. Ključne besede Zunajozemeljska pristojnost, kibernetsko vohunjenje, uporabo prava kot orožja , neprimerno tuje vplivanje, ekonomsko vohunjenje.

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Section: International Law Perspectivesupporting

confidence: 80%

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Over Cyber Espionage: A New Trend in International Law Or Just an Example of Lawfare

GIOVANNELLI¹

2022

Contemporary Military Challenges

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“…Is espionage a governmental function? 45 With regard to espionage, one perhaps needs to distinguish political from industrial espionage, but even industrial espionage can be linked to core governmental functions such as the economy or national security. That said, and notwithstanding how such activities are characterized, it is highly unlikely that a state will explicitly authorize an entity to perform such activities; rendering Article 5, ARSIWA inapplicable.…”

Section: Attribution In the Law Of State Responsibility And Its Determinantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyber Attribution: Technical and Legal Approaches and Challenges

Tsagourias

Farrell

2020

European Journal of International Law

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Considering the role of attribution in the law of state responsibility, this article examines the technical and international law methodologies and determinants used when attributing malicious cyber activities falling below the use-of-force threshold to a state, and identifies the challenges that arise which lead to responsibility gaps. The article goes on to discuss a number of proposals that aim to improve the effectiveness of the attribution process and also close some of the existing responsibility gaps. They include institutional proposals envisaging the creation of an international attribution agency; normative proposals advocating the revision of the legal determinants of attribution; and proposals concerning the standard of proof. The aim of the article is to reconstruct the theory and practice of cyber attribution in order to enhance the regulatory potential of international law in this area.

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“…Those taking the 'catch-all' position assert that any non-consensual incursion by a state agent into the territory of another state can amount to an exercise of state authority sufficient to violate the territorial state's sovereignty, regardless of whether that incursion produces damage or otherwise breaches international or national law, and regardless of whether the exercise of authority is manifested through a physical presence on the territory or remotely (Buchan 2018;Watts and Richards 2018). Taking this approach, the potential for violations is significant (Moynihan 2019).…”

Section: The Principle Of Sovereigntymentioning

confidence: 99%

The vital role of international law in the framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace

Moynihan

2020

Journal of Cyber Policy

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This article explores the importance of international law in debates about responsible behaviour in cyberspacein providing a rulesbased framework, in legitimising states' actions in response to unlawful activity in cyberspace by other states, and in lending normative force to statements calling out malicious cyber activity. At the same time, the article seeks to highlight the challenges involved in applying international law, and uses the application of two peacetime precepts of international lawthe principle of sovereignty and the principle of non-intervention in other states' internal affairsto illustrate some of the doctrinal issues with which states are grappling. While acknowledging these challenges, the article concludes that even if the UN parallel processes in the form of the Open Ended Working Group and Group of Government Experts do not result in substantial agreement between states on issues of international law, the debates in themselves are valuable in encouraging states to deliberate on these issues and to make their views public. By publicising their views, states add momentum to the journey towards cyber-specific understandings of international law.

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Cyber espionage and international law

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Over Cyber Espionage: A New Trend in International Law Or Just an Example of Lawfare

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Over Cyber Espionage: A New Trend in International Law Or Just an Example of Lawfare

Cyber Attribution: Technical and Legal Approaches and Challenges

The vital role of international law in the framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace

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