Challenges for Cyber Arms Control: A Qualitative Expert Interview Study

Cyberspace and its ongoing militarization have already been a topic in international fora as well as scientific debates for several years. Many important suggestions have been made for its regulation and development towards a peaceful application. However, the development of applicable, comprehensible, and verifiable arms control measures that can effectively reduce the risk of military escalations in cyberspace is still hindered by the characteristics of this domain. This article analyses these challenges and the obstacles of dual-use, proliferation, constant technological progress, the importance of the private sector, difficulties in defining and verifying the weapon, and difficulties in attributing attacks. By employing a literature review as well as qualitative expert interviews, the article provides a state-of-the-art perspective on these topics and answers the question to what extent expert knowledge aligns with the challenges discussed in the literature . It reveals the main challenges for cyber arms control—the lack of political will, of definitions, and of verification capabilities, as well as the dual-use nature of cyberspace and the multitude of stakeholders involved beyond states and discusses. Based on these findings, the analysis comes to the conclusion, that a broad definitional approach is advisable for cyberspace that regulates behaviors and outcomes rather than the technology itself. The analysis also shows that a reliable attribution mechanism is necessary for such endeavor, and that—as technical challenges have thus already been successfully overcome—an opportunity arises to translate the processes initiated under the UN GGE and the OEWG into binding regulations.