The Ethics of Cyberweapons in Warfare

Abstract

The author discusses the ethical issues of using cyberweapons, software that attacks data and other software during warfare. Many people assume these are relatively benign weapons, but we argue that they can create serious harms like any weapon. He defines cyberweapons and describes them in general terms, and survey their status as per the laws of war. He then discusses the unreliability of cyberweapons, the problem of collateral damage, and the associated problems of damage assessment, maintenance of secrecy, and mounting cyber-counterattacks. He examines some possibilities for creating more ethical cyberweapons and discusses the alternative of cyber-blockades. He concludes that cyberattacks should generally be outlawed by international agreement.