Cyber warfare has become more pervasive and more complex in recent years. It is difficult to regulate, as it holds an ambiguous position within the laws of war. This book investigates the legal and ethical ramifications of cyber war, considering which sets of laws apply to it, and how it fits into traditional ideas of armed conflict.

This is a great book. It is not so common to come across a coherent collection that offers such useful insight and understanding for scholars and students alike, let alone on a topic that is only beginning to take shape . . . This book is indeed an excellent starting place for those interested in delving into the law and ethics for virtual conflicts.

Jens Ohlin's research and teaching interests are focused on criminal law theory, public international law, and international criminal law. He is the author, with George Fletcher, of Defending Humanity: When Force is Justified and Why (Oxford University Press, 2008), which offers a new account of international self-defence through a comparative analysis of the rules of self-defence in criminal law. His scholarly work has appeared in top law reviews and journals, including the Columbia Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Harvard International Law Journal, American Journal of International Law, and several OUP edited volumes. His current research focuses on the normative application of criminal law concepts in international criminal law, especially with regard to genocide, torture, joint criminal enterprise and co-perpetration, as well as the philosophical foundations of collective criminal action. Kevin Govern is Associate Professor of Law at the Ave Maria School of Law. Professor Govern began his legal career as an Army Judge Advocate, serving 20 years at every echelon during peacetime and war in worldwide assignments involving every legal discipline. He has also served as an Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy and has taught at California University of Pennsylvania. He has published widely and spoken frequently on international and comparative law, national security and homeland security law, military operations, and professional ethics. Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon Biddle Professor of Law and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, and a co-Director of the University of Pennsylvania Institute of Law and Philosophy. She writes in the areas of criminal law theory, moral and political philosophy, philosophy of law, international law, and rational choice theory. A particular focus of her work is bringing philosophical rational choice theory to bear on legal theory, and she is particularly interested in tracing the implications of Hobbes' political theory for substantive legal questions. Recently she has also been writing on the moral and legal aspects of government-sponsored torture as part of the U.S. national security program. In 2008 Finkelstein was a Siemens Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, during which time she presented papers in Berlin, Leipzig, and Heidelberg.

Explores the controversial legal and ethical problems raised by cyber war, critically assessing the received wisdom about its legal implications Examines the complex questions of which legal regimes apply to cyber attacks, whether principles of humanitarian law work in cyber warfare situations, and how these principles can be translated into the operational reality Provides an unique analysis of the foundational questions of the legality and morality of cyber warfare