LEGALITY OF LOW-INTENSITY CYBER OPERATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

PovzetekNamen tega prispevka je obravnava mednarodnopravne ureditve nizkointenzivnih kibernetskih operacij. Čeprav mednarodna skupnost soglaša, da mednarodno pravo ureja ravnanje držav v kibernetskem prostoru, ni popolnoma jasno, kako se veljavna pravila mednarodnega prava uporabljajo v kibernetskem kontekstu. Večina pravnih strokovnjakov in strokovnjakov za nacionalno varnost ter vojaških strategov se je osredotočila na kibernetske operacije, ki dosegajo prag oboroženega spopada ali uporabe sile, vendar pa je le nekaj kibernetskih operacij v preteklosti ta prag tudi v resnici doseglo. Kibernetske operacije nižje intenzivnosti prevladujejo v kibernetskih odnosih med državami. Pri analizi skladnosti nizkointenzivnih kibernetskih napadov z veljavnimi pravili mednarodnega prava, zlasti z načelom ozemeljske suverenosti in načelom nevmešavanja, se članek opira na ugotovitve mednarodne skupine strokovnjakov, ki je pripravila t. i. Talinski priročnik uporabnega prava za področje kibernetskih operacij, in na mnenja drugih priznanih pravnih strokovnjakov.Ključne besede: kibernetska operacija, mednarodno pravo, načelo ozemeljske suverenosti, načelo neintervencije.AbstractThe purpose of this article is to discuss the international law regulation of low-intensity cyber operations. Although the international community agrees that international law governs the conduct of states in cyberspace, it is not entirely clear how the existing norms of international law apply in the cyber context. The majority of legal scholars, as well as national security experts and military strategists, have focused on cyber operations that reach the threshold of either armed attack or use of force; however, few cyber operations in the past have actually risen to that level. Cyber operations of lower intensity prevail in state cyber interactions. While analyzing the accordance of low-intensity cyber operations with the existing norms of international law, in particular with the principle of state sovereignty and non-intervention, the article leans on the findings of the International Group of Experts which developed the Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations, and writings of other recognized legal scholars. Key words: cyber operation, international law, principle of territorial sovereignty, principle of non-intervention.