Technology, Policy, Law, and Ethics Regarding U.S. Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities

About

The United States is increasingly dependent on information and information technology for both civilian and military purposes, as are many other nations. Although there is a substantial literature on the potential impact of a cyberattack on the societal infrastructure of the United States, little has been written about the use of cyberattack as an instrument of U.S. policy. Cyberattacks-actions intended to damage or adversary computer systems or networks-can be used for a variety of military purposes. But they also have application to certain missions of the intelligence community, such as covert action. They may be useful for certain domestic law enforcement purposes, and some analysts believe that they might be useful for certain private sector entities who are themselves under cyberattack.

This report considers all of these applications from an integrated perspective that ties together technology, policy, legal, and ethical issues. Focusing on the use of cyberattack as an instrument of U.S.

national policy, this talk will explores important characteristics of cyberattack, describes the current international and domestic legal structure as it might apply to cyberattack, and considers analogies to other domains of conflict to develop relevant insights.

Dr. Herbert Lin is chief scientist of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, National Research Council, and the study director of the 2009 NRC report Technology, Policy, Law, and Ethics Regarding U.S. Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities. He received his doctorate in physics from MIT.

Location: MIT CSAIL 32-G449 (Patil/ Kiva) Street Address: 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 Relevant URL: http://www.csail.mit.edu/resources/maps/4G/G449.gif