Cyber Warfare Challenges for the Applicability of the Traditional Laws of War Regime

The concept of cyberwar poses some unique challenges to the traditional laws of war regime. The recent discovery of the virus Stuxnet in Iran86 spurred a new discussion about cyberwar and the possibilities to protect a nation against this new type of warfare. This article considers the general applicability of the laws of war to cyberwar and questions the need for a new treaty regime to deal with cyberwar. Furthermore, it highlights some problems that are unique to cyberwar, but also identifies possible advantages of cyberwar in comparison with traditional warfare.