Widespread disruption of critical national infrastructure. Espionage operations targeting Parliament. AI-enable disinformation campaigns during national elections.

States launch inter-state cyber operations on a daily basis, but few of them make the headlines. But is this ongoing interaction between states lawful? And what if it escalates?
In this interactive session, we will explore what it is like to go through a cyber attack as an international legal advisor.
We will simulate a case study of a large scale cyber attack and explore its legal implications under international law.
What makes an offensive cyber operation unlawful? How can a targeted state lawfully respond to a cyber-attack? And what constitutes self-defence in cyberspace?

The session will look at these questions and potential avenues for international law to develop and regulate inter-state cyber operations.
Participants do not require previous knowledge of international law.

Pia is a Research Fellow in cyber, technology and national security. Her research focusses on the impact, societal risks and lawfulness of cyber operations and the geopolitical and national security implications of disruptive technologies, such as AI. Prior to joining RUSI, Pia conducted her doctoral research on the lawfulness of offensive cyber operations in international law. Previously, Pia has been a visiting researcher at McGill University and worked at the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security as well as the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Pia’s other research interests include the governance of cyberspace, election interference, cyberwarfare and the relationship between law and technology. Pia holds a PhD and an LLM in International Law Security (with distinction) from the University of Glasgow and an LLB in European Law from Maastricht University.