Law of Armed Conflict: Implications for Navy Cyber Strategy Masters of Information Technology Strategy

Reference herein to any product, service, organization or entity by name, trademark, logo, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department of the Navy (DoN), Department of Defense (DoD), or United States Government (USG). The DoN, DoD and USG do not exercise any editorial control over the information found in this report. As a result, the opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and shall not be construed to reflect the official policies or positions of the DoN, DoD, or USG. ii The pervasiveness of computing and network technologies has led to the emergence of cyberspace as a warfare domain. As with any traditional warfare domain, military actions in cyberspace are subject to a set of international laws and norms known as the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). While the United States (U.S.) Navy is working to develop capabilities within the cyberspace domain, the level of knowledge and understanding within the Navy regarding the application and implications of LOAC to cyber is unclear. This report examines LOAC, U.S. cyber operations policy, and U.S. Navy cyber readiness, using the information to develop a cybe