Proportional Response to Cyberattacks

Analysis in recent years demonstrates that government responses to cyberattacks vary widely. Although there has been significant political pressure to “do something,” past experiences illustrate that most policy responses are ad hoc. This indicates that 1) response to cyberattacks is still an exceedingly untested phenomenon; 2) cyber domain is a relatively new arena of conflict—especially for the policymakers—and, therefore, special attention should be directed towards it; and 3) more research is needed to understand how nation-states could best respond to cyber hostilities and which instruments should be used. This article analyzes omprehensively how cyberattacks should be treated as a political question and provides a rough framework upon which policymakers can build. The article presents five variables that policymakers need to consider when evaluating appropriate responses to cyber hostilities. Combining incident impact, policy options, and other variables, the framework outlines the different levers of cyberpolitics that can be applied in response to the escalating levels of cyber incidents. The response framework is also an integral part of the state’s cyber deterrence.