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
Paige Ferreira is the Executive Assistant to the Faculty Chair of the Belfer Center's Middle East Initiative (MEI) at the Harvard Kennedy School. In this role, she supports the faculty chair with comprehensive administrative work, coordination of events, and assistance to the project at large. Her research work focuses on the impacts of climate change and agricultural advancements on indigenous cultural heritage in the Middle East and North Africa. Paige has previously worked as a research assistant on publications focusing on post-imperial ethnic conflict within Eurasia and the effects of fractured regionalism in post-Cold War Soviet states.
Prior to joining MEI, she held the position of Legal Assistant and Primary Records Access Officer for the Executive Office of former Massachusetts Governor Charles D. Baker. She is currently a graduate student at The American University of Rome, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. Paige is writing her dissertation on hydrological developments in Morocco and its impact on rural Amazigh communities of Southeast Morocco. She is a proficient French speaker, having received her language diploma from Université Grenoble Alpes, and is conversational in Italian.