Legal frameworks governing cyber warfare - analyzing international responses to state-sponsored cyberattacks in conflicts from 2014 to 2024

Abstract

The problem under analysis in this research paper is the legal gaps governing cyberwarfare and State responsibility during State sponsored cyberattacks. The aim of the thesis is to identify the limits, challenges and legal gaps governing cyberwarfare as well as the responsibility of States during these State sponsored cyberattacks. The main objectives of the study were to analyse cyberwarfare and war crimes, analyse Geneva Convention and its additional protocols I and II, analyse Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court specifically Article 8, analyse State responsibility in cyberattacks, analyse the challenges of applicability of the various legal frameworks and lastly analyse various cases where State has concluded cyberattack and come to conclusion whether it can be prosecuted under international law. In conclusion the main limitations of the current legal documents are unclear definitions, outdated focus on physical force and the complex nature of cyberwarfare.