Introduction to Cyber Politics and Policy

First Edition

Mary Manjikian - Regent University, Virginia, USA

Other Titles in:
Politics (General)

April 2020 | 432 pages | CQ Press

Introduction to Cyber Politics and Policy is a comprehensive introductory textbook for cyber politics and security courses, and the perfect addition to any International Relations or Intelligence course. Written by Mary Manjikian, an expert in the field and an instructor who has taught the course for ten years, it assumes no prior knowledge of technical concepts, legal concepts, military concepts or international relations theory.

Instead, she aims to bridge the gaps between the intricacies of technology and the theories of political science. The book emphasizes the importance of collaboration and understanding between the two fields - students from both technology and political science backgrounds need to understand the implications of technology decisions and the policy questions that arise from them in order to make a meaningful contribution to ever-changing field.

Preface

About the Author

Acknowledgments

1. A Brief History of the Internet

What is the internet?

The infancy of the internet (1963–1984)

The period of growth and early regulation (1984–2000)

The Securitization and Militarization of Cyberspace (2000–2012)

The Era of Surveillance and Big Data (2008–present)

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

2. The Internet, Technology Studies, and International Relations

Who decides what a technology is for?

Critical Issues: What are Digital Human Rights?

People and Places: The Great Firewall of China

The Uniqueness Debate

A World Apart or an Extension of Terrestrial Space?

People and Places: What Is the Dark Web?

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

3. A Realist View of Cyberspace

The Foundations of the Interstate System: A Quick Review

A Realist View of Cyberthreat

People and Places: What Is the Fifth Domain of Warfare?

Critical Issues: Measuring Cyber capability

Tools of the Trade: Hacks, Spoofs, and Computer Network Exploitation (CNE)

Constructing Alliances in Cyberspace

The Beginning of Cyberwar

People and Places: The First Cyber Attack—Stuxnet

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

4. Liberal Internationalism, Cooperation, and Regimes

What Is Liberal Internationalism?

Liberal Internationalism in Cyberspace

How do states cooperate to regulate cyberspace?

People and Places: ASEAN’s Cybersecurity Regime

Opposing the Liberal Internationalist View

Critical Issues: Cryptocurrency and the International Economy

People and Places: The 2016 Attack on the Central Bank of Bangladesh

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

5. Constructivism and the Creation of Cybersecurity Threat

What is Constructivism?

Critical Issues: Politics of the Digital Silk Road

Building a Bridge: Internet Naming and Routing Protocols

Neither a Battlefield Nor a Village: Language “Constructs” the Internet

Building a Bridge: The Physical Structure of the Internet

The Birth of Critical Infrastructure

People and Places: What Is Critical Infrastructure?

The Militarization of Cyberspace

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

6. Governing the Internet

Norms and Cyberspace Norms

The Cyber Sovereignty Position

Russia’s Cyber Realist View of Cyberspace

Global Governance in Cyberspace

Can International Norms regarding Human Rights Be Grafted onto Cyberspace?

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

7. Cybercrime

Does the Internet Encourage Crime?

The State’s Role in Combating Cybercrime

Crime as a Social Construct

Critical issues: Should People and Organizations Be “Banned” from the Internet?

An International Convention on Cybercrime?

Defining Cybercrime

Regulation and Responsibility: Who Is Liable?

States and Firms Cooperate: The Example of a Botnet Takedown

The Rise of Anticipatory Policing

But Is It a Crime? The Case of WikiLeaks

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

8. Private Actors in Cyberspace

What Is a Platform?

What are Technology Actors?

Are Technology Actors Competitors to States within the International System?

Technology Actors as Gatekeepers

Technology Actors as Platforms

Technology Actors, Responsibility, and Liability

What Is Corporate Social Responsibility?

Critical Issues: Introducing the BAT: Monopoly Technology Actors in China

Is Facebook a Monopoly, and Does It Need to Be Broken Up?

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

9. States and Private Actors Cooperating in Cyberspace

What are Public-Private Partnerships?

The Emergence of PPPs in the Cybersecurity Arena

PPPs and the Conduct of Cyberwar

Critiquing PPPs: Is What’s Good for General Motors Also Good for America?

Platforms as Foreign Policy Actors Today

International Legal Challenges in Cloud Computing

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

10. Ethics, Norms, and Rules

What Are Ethics?

Ethical Lenses for Considering Cyber Values

Critical Issues: Information Privacy

The Emergence of Cyber Norms

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

11. Cyber Conflict

What is Cybersecurity?

Critical Issues: Space Security

Defining Acts of War

Critical Issues: Who Is Winning the Cyber Arms Race?

Is Cyberwar Illegal or Unethical?

Creating International Rules Governing CyberWarfare

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

12. Looking toward the Future

What Is an Emerging Technology?

Selected Future Challenges: Big Data

Critical Issues: Quantum Computing

Selected Future Challenges: Artificial Intelligence

Critical Issues: The Politics of Neural Networks

Critical Issues: Should the United Nations Ban Autonomous Weapons?

Critical Issues: Smart Cities

Conclusion

Questions for Discussion

Key Terms

For Further Reading

Glossary

Notes

Index

“Great book on history of internet and all the related issues with many controversial topics for discussion.”

“Great book on history of
internet and all the related issues with many controversial topics for
discussion.”

Ranette H. Halverson

Midwestern State University

"[Intro to Cyber Politics and Policy] good text for a course on Cyberspace and International Affairs for undergraduates. [The text] provides a central resource for my classes where previously I would rely on a lot of different texts drawn from books, articles and other online resources to cobble together the right content for students."

Christopher Whyte

Virginia Commonwealth University

"A book with style and flare for the elite."

Adell Brooks

Hinds Community College

“This text is about one of the most important topics in our cyber globalized world. It offers a comprehensive overview of virtually any topic critical to policy makers, academics and practitioners in the cyber security world.”

Ronald W. Vardy

University of Houston

“Introduction to Cyber Politics is a welcome addition to the world of international relations literature in a new and complex policy arena. It's a first-of-its-kind resource covering state-sponsored cyber threats and international regimes to cryptocurrencies and cybercrime, all in one volume.”

Holly Dragoo

Georgia Tech Research Institute