Last week my new paper “Public Secrets: The Dynamics of Publicity and
Secrecy in Offensive Cyber Operations” was published in the Journal of Global Security Studies.
In this research, I delve into the intriguing shift in strategies adopted by states following an offensive cyber operation (OCO).
I show that contrary to popular belief, it’s not simply a choice between staying silent or seeking publicity.
Through an analysis of compiled data on OCOs spanning from 1996 to 2019, I uncover various patterns in state behavior.
The results shed light on the fascinating phenomenon of states relinquishing secrecy and opting for more public strategies.
Notably, perpetrators display a significant inclination towards public strategies (20 percent), while defenders exhibit an even higher preference (50 percent).
Furthermore, the research highlights that democracies tend to claim public credit and attribute attacks, whereas less democratic nations lean towards public denial.
These initial findings provide valuable insights for understanding state behavior in the aftermath of cyberattacks.
This research went a (very) long way – from a dissertation chapter to a published paper – and I sincerely hope it contributes to the broader knowledge and understanding of how states operate in cyberspace.
I look forward to hearing what you think!
The link to the paper is in the first comment.
If you need access to the full paper – let me know.
