Cyberspace and the State

The so-called cyber-threat commands the attention of multinational corporations, governments and the strategic community, keen as they are to harness the power of digital communications yet anxious to protect their interests. Attacks such as those which disrupted on-line banking in Estonia and defaced government websites in Georgia, as well as the infamous Stuxnet worm that temporarily shut down Iran’s nuclear programme, are vivid examples of what may be possible within this new strategic domain. But are our networked societies really vulnerable, as some have suggested, to a knock-out blow, perpetrated by state-sponsored hackers or terrorists? And what can be done to defend the state from this and from the encroachment of external networks that transcend its borders and breach its laws?

This Adelphi tackles the range of issues raised by our dependence on digital networks. It considers how instantaneous, global communications are challenging national and social orders and what shape those challenges may take as the net is cast ever wider. Comparing the transformations of the Information Age with those of previous generations, when new technologies and emerging transnational threats spread panic in political and strategic circles, the authors examine the real implications for states and statehood.

‘By providing a conceptual framework for what power is in the cyber domain and how it is exercised, this book offers policy-makers valuable guidance in how to think about a major security issue.’

Michael Hayden, former NSA and former Director of the Central Intelligence

‘Cyberspace offers a wealth of threats, benefits and opportunities for governments, business and the citizen. This book provides a stimulating contribution to the policy debate.’

Iain Lobban CB, Director, GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters)

'A unique and valuable perspective on cyberspace, placing its policy concerns within the traditional quest for power and sovereignty. The approach is refreshing, insightful and highly readable.’

Martin Libicki, senior management scientist, RAND Corporation

David J. Betz is a senior lecturer in the War Studies Department, King’s College, London and Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Tim Stevens is an associate of the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King’s College, London.