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.”
A panel conversation with:
Nazila Fathi
Spring 2012 Shorenstein Fellow, HKS; Neiman Fellow (2010-11)
Charles Freilich
Senior Fellow, International Security Program, HKS
Steven E. Miller
Director, International Security Program, HKS
Dr. Meghan O’Sullivan
Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, HKS
David Sanger
Chief Washington Correspondent, New York Times
Stephen Walt (Moderator)
Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs, HKS