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Cyber Weapons and the Fifth Domain: Implications of Cyber Conflict on International Relations

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The 2022 Yearbook of the Digital Governance Research Group

Part of the book series: Digital Ethics Lab Yearbook ((DELY))

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Abstract

Since the advent of the internet, governments endeavored to shape its use for their strategic advantage. This ambition extends to military applications where control of the cyber domain has become a primary element of modern conflicts. Increasingly, military doctrine features cyber weapons not only as a tool to strategically prepare the battlefield, but also as a critical component of battlefield tactics. The significance of cyber weapons on both national defense strategy and battlefield tactics is so significant that many military theorists have characterized it as a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), a tectonic shift in capabilities akin to the advent of manned flight or nuclear fission. This paper analyzes the modern uses of cyber weapons through the lens of recent RMAs, suggesting potential implications for policy and areas for further study by the academy.

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Notes

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Correspondence to Joshua Jaffe .

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Jaffe, J. (2023). Cyber Weapons and the Fifth Domain: Implications of Cyber Conflict on International Relations. In: Mazzi, F. (eds) The 2022 Yearbook of the Digital Governance Research Group. Digital Ethics Lab Yearbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28678-0_5

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