Cyber-attacks known as “Netwar” committed by non-state actors are criminal acts under international law. State sponsored cyber-attacks constituting sabotage , espionage , or subversion ordinarily are casus belli and not acts of war under the international law of armed conflict. Whether a cyber-attack meets the political intention element will be fact specific and depend on the category of perpetrator. Non-state actors engaging in “Netwar” are committing criminals and not acts that have a political intent as defined by Clausewitz. State sponsored cyber-attacks that have an objective against a state or states will meet the political in nature element. Not all state sponsored cyber-attacks escalate to the level of acts of war due to the “act of force” element of Clausewitz’s definition. Whether a state sponsored cyber-attack meets the “act of force” element was a subject of debate between authors John Stone and Thomas
Cyber-attacks known as “Netwar” committed by non-state actors are criminal acts under international law. State sponsored cyber-attacks constituting sabotage , espionage , or subversion ordinarily are casus belli and not acts of war under the international law of armed conflict. Whether a cyber-attack meets the political intention element will be fact specific and depend on the category of perpetrator. Non-state actors engaging in “Netwar” are committing criminals and not acts that have a political intent as defined by Clausewitz. State sponsored cyber-attacks that have an objective against a state or states will meet the political in nature element. Not all state sponsored cyber-attacks escalate to the level of acts of war due to the “act of force” element of Clausewitz’s definition. Whether a state sponsored cyber-attack meets the “act of force” element was a subject of debate between authors John Stone and Thomas