• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Wyatt Hoffman",
    "Duncan Hollis",
    "Christian Ruhl"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "TIA",
  "programs": [
    "Technology and International Affairs"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Iran"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Technology"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Cyber Norms Processes at a Crossroads

Rather than process fragmentation, the key challenges for cyber norms development derive from the structure of the cyber domain itself and the current alignment of incentives for state behavior.

Link Copied
By Wyatt Hoffman, Duncan Hollis, Christian Ruhl
Published on Feb 27, 2020
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: Lawfare Blog

In October 2019, a major cyberattack on the Republic of Georgia disrupted thousands of government, media and private websites in the country, highlighting the escalating scope of cyber aggression. The following day, the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace convened key stakeholders from academia, industry and policy for a workshop to assess the state of global cyber norms processes. We’ve compiled the takeaways from the workshop, which was held under Chatham House Rules, in a new report. The discussions indicated that while the splintering of cyber norms processes in recent years raises cause for concern, fragmented initiatives provide reason for optimism that norms will eventually solidify.

Last week, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and a number of European states publicly condemned Russia for the Oct. 28 cyberattacks against Georgia, reportedly attributed to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU. A rare example of collective attribution, the condemnation follows a joint statement signed by the U.S. and 26 other states in September 2019 pledging to hold states accountable for “bad behavior in cyberspace.” While this response is a welcome development, such accusations remain a modest response to increasingly flagrant cyber aggression: Indiscriminate cyberattacks like NotPetya, malware targeting critical infrastructure and large-scale cyber-enabled disinformation campaigns all demonstrate the acute need to solidify rules of the road for cyber operations.

Read the full text

This was originally published by the Lawfare Blog.

About the Authors

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.

Duncan Hollis

Duncan B. Hollis is James E. Beasley Professor of Law at Temple University Law School. He is editor of the award-winning Oxford Guide to Treaties (Oxford University Press, 2012) as well as various articles on securing cyberspace, including (with Martha Finnemore) Constructing Norms for Global Cybersecurity, 110 American J. Int’l Law 425 (2016). Professor Hollis is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an elected member of the American Law Institute, and a member of the OAS Inter-American Juridical Committee.

Christian Ruhl

Christian Ruhl is the program associate for Global Order at Perry World House, the University of Pennsylvania's hub for global affairs.

Authors

Wyatt Hoffman
Former Senior Research Analyst, Cyber Policy Initiative
Duncan Hollis

Duncan B. Hollis is James E. Beasley Professor of Law at Temple University Law School. He is editor of the award-winning Oxford Guide to Treaties (Oxford University Press, 2012) as well as various articles on securing cyberspace, including (with Martha Finnemore) Constructing Norms for Global Cybersecurity, 110 American J. Int’l Law 425 (2016). Professor Hollis is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an elected member of the American Law Institute, and a member of the OAS Inter-American Juridical Committee.

Christian Ruhl

Christian Ruhl is the program associate for Global Order at Perry World House, the University of Pennsylvania's hub for global affairs.

TechnologyNorth AmericaUnited StatesIran

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

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Europe Needs its own Sanctions-Enforcement Muscle

    The EU can impose sanctions but struggles to enforce them without the United States. With Washington increasingly disinterested in backing European interests, the bloc must now fend for itself.

      Nicu Popescu, Tiago Antunes

  • Men in suits watching people dancing
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Central Asia Wants U.S. Investments. It Is Less Sure About U.S. Conditions.

    Rubio’s recent visit brought welcome attention, but more capital requires governance changes that may be a hard sell for regional governments.

      Jennifer B. Murtazashvili

  • Military rescue helicopter during sunset stock photo
    Paper
    The End of Primacy Without Pain: Why the Domestic Foundation of American Power Is Crumbling

    America’s foreign-policy objectives have grown more demanding while Americans have demanded greater focus on their own affairs.

      Stephen Wertheim

  • Article
    Can China Turn Its Small Modular Reactor Ambitions into Commercial Reality?

    China has showcased its engineering prowess with small modular reactor demonstration projects. But turning these technological achievements into commercial success will be a greater challenge.

      Tong Zhao

  • Research
    How Can Approaches from Physical Ecology Help Research and Policy on the Information Environment?

    Scholars and policymakers increasingly use ecological metaphors such as “information environment” and “information ecosystem” to describe contemporary informational spaces. Ecology offers more than loanwords. Its concepts and frameworks can help researchers understand relationships among people, technology, content, and society. 

      • David Scales

      Alicia Wanless, Claire Wardle, David Scales

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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 Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.