The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
- Alumni
Lewis M. Branscomb
- Former Director Emeritus of the Science, Technology and Public Policy Program; Aetna Public Service Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Corporate Management
- Former Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
