• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Tim Maurer",
    "Wyatt Hoffman"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Cyber and Digital Policy"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "TIA",
  "programs": [
    "Technology and International Affairs"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Iran"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Technology"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

Other

The Privatization of Security and the Market for Cyber Tools and Services

A look at the emerging and expanding gaps in the governance of private cybersecurity companies and activities and the ways forward and policy options for governments.

Link Copied
By Tim Maurer and Wyatt Hoffman
Published on Aug 23, 2019
Program mobile hero image

Program

Technology and International Affairs

The Technology and International Affairs Program develops insights to address the governance challenges and large-scale risks of new technologies. Our experts identify actionable best practices and incentives for industry and government leaders on artificial intelligence, cyber threats, cloud security, countering influence operations, reducing the risk of biotechnologies, and ensuring global digital inclusion.

Learn More

Source: Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

Abstract

This paper seeks to identify the emerging and expanding gaps in the governance of private cybersecurity companies and activities and to explore ways forward and policy options for governments. First, it explores the characteristics of typical cyber operations and challenges related to their conduct by private actors. Thereafter, it addresses the governance challenges around cybersecurity and three main departure points for regulation: the fact that geographic scope does not limit cybersecurity companies, that cyber operations can slide from defensive to offensive very quickly; and that cybersecurity services are often exported for the purpose of (or with the knowledge they will be) violating human rights. This section will also integrate perspectives of international law. Finally, the paper lays out suggestions for policy options in relation to international law and existing international normative frameworks. In conclusion, the paper offers a framework and way forward as food for thought in order to address cybersecurity operations in relation to PMSCs.

Read Full Text

This analysis was originally published by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance.

About the Authors

Tim Maurer

Former Senior Fellow, Technology and International Affairs Program

Dr. Tim Maurer was a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Technology and International Affairs program.

Wyatt Hoffman

Former Senior Research Analyst, Cyber Policy Initiative

Wyatt Hoffman was a senior research analyst with the Nuclear Policy Program and the Cyber Policy Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Authors

Tim Maurer
Former Senior Fellow, Technology and International Affairs Program
Tim Maurer
Wyatt Hoffman
Former Senior Research Analyst, Cyber Policy Initiative
SecurityTechnologyIran

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Capitol building from below
    Commentary
    Emissary
    What the New Democratic Congress Can (and Can’t) Do on Foreign Policy

    Democrats now have the gavel and the purse, but the executive branch still pulls the levers on the U.S. role in the world.

      • +10

      James M. Acton, Dan Baer, Mark Baldassare, …

  • military personnel standing around a helicopter
    Commentary
    Emissary
    How a U.S.-Russia Standoff Ended a Decades-Old UN Mission in Western Sahara

    MINURSO’s renewal by the Security Council became highly politicized. Its expiration brings concerns about renewed violence and the future of demining efforts.

      • Sarah Yerkes

      Sarah Yerkes

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Red Sea Mirage: Why Russia Is Still Waiting on a Military Base in Sudan

    Russia’s coveted Red Sea naval base has fallen victim to its erratic foreign policy.

      Sergey Konyashin

  • Article
    Turkey’s Four Headaches Are Also Europe’s

    Between stalled economic ties and a push for greater security cooperation, EU-Turkey relations remain uncertain. Ankara’s continued slide toward autocracy is the likeliest common denominator in these competing dynamics.

      Marc Pierini

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Deportation of Russian Propagandist Reveals Battle Over Church Influence in the Balkans

    Mikhail Zvinchuk’s detention could have dealt a serious blow to Russia’s propaganda infrastructure in the Balkans. Instead, the incident has made something else eminently clear: Moscow values and protects its propagandists, while Europe still hasn’t figured out what to do with them.

      Ivan Filippov, Ksenia Luchenko

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie This Week
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie This Week
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.