Cybersecurity and Cyberconflict: State of the Art Research Conference

Cybersecurity has become a topic of great importance in the international security community. Yet, dedicated cybersecurity research in the political sciences and related disciplines is still sparse and marginalized. To map the state of the art in this field of research and identify future research avenues, the conference brings together a select group of researchers specialized in studying the strategic (mis)use of cyberspace by state and non-state actors and in analysing the related governance challenges.

We are looking for contributions discussing, inter alia, how power relationships between political actors are affected, how cyberspace shapes our understanding of “old” strategic concepts such as deterrence and coercion, where their limits are, and how to understand the type of (inter)national norms that have emerged over the years. We particularly welcome analyses of how cyber insecurity affects the roles and political opportunities of small and medium states, and those of semi- and non-state actors. Papers should reflect on the intellectual challenges of studying strategic/ political interactions in cyberspace and propose innovative theories, research methods, or data gathering strategies to better understand the ontological, epistemological, and normative complexities of security in a digitalized world.