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.”
Biography
Marina Lorenzini is the Project Coordinator with the Project on Managing the Atom. In this role, she spearheads the fellowship program, grant monitoring and donor relationships, and core programming. Her research with the Project focuses on the nuclear energy industry, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, emergency preparedness, and sanctions across Europe and the Middle East. Alongside MTA Associate Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, Marina leads the MTA Iran Working Group. She has published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Lawfare, and the National Interest.
Prior to joining the Belfer Center, she held positions at McLarty Associates, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School. Marina holds a M.A. in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She wrote her thesis on Turkey-Russian energy trade, with a focus on the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. She earned her B.A. in Art History from Franklin University Switzerland as well as a Certificate in Arabic Language and Linguistics from the University of Pittsburgh. She is an advanced speaker of Arabic and Italian, having used the language extensively throughout her career, and has a reading proficiency in Latin and Persian.
Last Updated: May 8, 2023, 10:11am