Visible to the public Deterring Strategic Cyberattack

TitleDeterring Strategic Cyberattack
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsElliott, David
JournalIEEE Security Privacy
Volume9
Pagination36–40
ISSN1558-4046
Keywordscollateral damage control, comprehensive defense, Computer crime, critical infrastructure protection, critical infrastructures, cyber security, cyber-dependent infrastructure, cyberattack, cyberattack deterrence, Cyberspace, cyberwar, deterrence, government policies, Human Behavior, international agreement, legal norm, nuclear deterrence, nuclear deterrence versus cyber deterrence, nuclear regime, privacy, pubcrawl, resilience, Scalability, security of data
AbstractProtecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks by other nations is a matter of considerable concern. Can deterrence play a role in such protection? Can lessons from nuclear deterrence-the most elaborated and successful version of deterrence-be adapted to the cyber case? Currently, little overlap exists between the two, although that might change in the aftermath of an extensive, destructive cyberattack. The most effective way to protect the cyber-dependent infrastructure is a comprehensive defense (deterrence by denial), which was impractical in the nuclear regime. However, this approach presents challenges. Existing legal norms, particularly those related to controlling collateral damage, might provide some deterrence. Another option might be a new international agreement, but that would involve several difficult issues.
DOI10.1109/MSP.2011.24
Citation Keyelliott_deterring_2011