Application of International Humanitarian Law on Cyber Attacks

Sve učestaliji kibernetički napadi i njihovo korištenje u oružanim sukobima 21. stoljeća otvorili su novu domenu ratovanja - kibernetički prostor. Zbog velike međupovezanosti civilnih i vojnih sustava u kibernetičkom prostoru, vrlo je teško provoditi kibernetičke napade u skladu s glavnim ciljem i svrhom međunarodnog humanitarnog prava - zaštitom civila i civilnih objekata. Štoviše, upitno je mogu li se pravila, načela i terminologija međunarodnog humanitarnog prava, nastala uzimajući u obzir potpuno drugačiju vrstu ratovanja, primijeniti na kibernetičke napade. Zato će prvi dio ovog rada pojasniti može li se međunarodno humanitarno pravo primijeniti na kibernetičke operacije. S obzirom na specifičnosti kibernetičkih napada, odnosno činjenica da se ne provode uporabom kinetičke sile, da se provode u virtualnom prostoru gdje istovremeno djeluje velik broj ljudi te da infrastruktura toga prostora ima i civilnu i vojnu namjenu, može doći do poteškoća u primjeni tradicionalnih pravila međunarodnog humanitarnog prava o vođenju neprijateljstava. Zbog toga će naglasak drugog dijela rada biti na primjeni pravila međunarodnog humanitarnog prava, posebice pravila razlikovanja, proporcionalnosti i mjera opreza, na kibernetičke napade.Increasingly frequent cyberattacks and their use in armed conflicts of the 21st century have opened up a new domain of warfare - cyberspace. Due to the large interconnection of civil and military systems in cyberspace, it is very difficult to carry out cyber attacks in accordance with the main aim and purpose of international humanitarian law - the protection of civilians and civilian objects. Moreover, it is questionable whether the rules, principles and terminology of international humanitarian law, created by taking into account a completely different type of warfare, can be applied to cyber attacks. That is why the first part of this paper will clarify whether international humanitarian law can be applied to cyber operations. Given the specifics of cyber attacks, i.e. the fact that they are not carried out using kinetic force, that they are carried out in a virtual space where a large number of people operate at the same time, and that the infrastructure of that space has both civilian and military purposes, there may be difficulties in the application of traditional rules of international humanitarian law on the conduct of hostilities. For this reason, the emphasis of the second part of the paper will be the application of the rules of international humanitarian law, especially the rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions, to cyberattacks