The U.S. Needs International Cyber Treaties
Abstract
The United States did not wait for a nuclear attack on its soil before pursuing international treaties on nuclear weapons. Nor should it wait for a catastrophic cyber attack. Both history and exercises have demonstrated the world cannot afford to wait any longer. Cyber attacks have occurred for years and threaten to impact nations in many ways from simple denial of access to destruction of infrastructure. Examples of the threats abound from crippling attacks against Estonia, to ongoing espionage attributed to China, and exercises like Cyber Storm and Cyber ShockWave. In the past nations have signed treaties that established law regarding land, air, and sea domains, to regulate warfare, and halt arms races to avoid catastrophic consequences to populations. It is time to overcome such obstacles to international agreement as definitions, attribution, and compliance. Agreements can start with a compromise in defining what constitutes attacks and grow on the international cooperation already present in the UN and NATO. In the past governments have acted to ensure peace for their populations as well as established international laws for the conduct of war. It is time for the international community to include this advance in warfare into those laws.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- AD1020072
Entities
People
- James T. Wandmacher
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College