Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Politics and International Relations
Reader 1
Owen Brown
Reader 2
Jennifer Taw
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2023 Emma R Mansour
Abstract
Cyberwar is a relatively new type of combat that is increasing in popularity and prevalence in modern warfare. Actors are using advanced technology, often in the form of a virus, to target a state’s infrastructure, data, and all else that exists online. What is even more alarming than the attacks themselves is the lack of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to regulate cyberattacks, leaving states and civilians incredibly vulnerable. As the world continues to shift digitally, all actors will become more and more vulnerable to these types of attacks, and it is critical that new law is adopted to ensure that just war is maintained. This thesis argues that IHL must be revisited and updated, surveying three instances of cyberattacks, NotPetya, BlackEnergy, and Stuxnet, to demonstrate the flaws in current international law and the urgency of this problem.
Recommended Citation
Mansour, Emma Reeves, "No Body, No Crime: The Advent of Cyberwar and International Humanitarian Law" (2024). Scripps Senior Theses. 2368.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2368
