Foreign Policy and Cyber Weapons.

Abstract

This essay explores the challenges of ensuring cyber security internationally and what needs to be done for Western-aligned states to address cyber weapons internationally. At present, the prevailing approach by the major powers in cyber space is antagonistic and destabilizing. To address this situation and ensure international peace is maintained, a comprehensive approach is needed. This approach should draw upon the lessons learned during the early years of the Cold War. During this time, international norms concerning nuclear weapons were in their nascent stage and the international system was only just beginning to settle into a bi-polar structure. Today, by drawing an analogy between nuclear weapons and cyber weapons and utilizing the lessons learned during the Cold War, the international community can ensure that the introduction of cyber weapons does not threaten the stability of the international system.