CYBER DETERRENCE BY PUNISHMENT: ROLE OF DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 5, 62 - 75, 31.07.2018

Nasser S. Alazwani Thomas M Chen

Abstract

Nuclear deterrence based on mutual assured destruction seems to have successfully
prevented a global nuclear war for decades. Can deterrence be effective for cyber-attacks
between nation-states? The cyber environment is drastically different from the nuclear case.
A major difference is the possibility of different perceptions by the states which may lead to
a failure of cyber deterrence. In this paper, we compare differences between nuclear
deterrence and cyber deterrence. We adapt a game theoretic model from the nuclear
case to the cyber environment and show that differences in perceived payoffs can lead to
attack strategies where deterrence fails in cyberspace. 

Keywords

Cyber security, deterrence theory, cyber deterrence, game theory, cyber defense

References

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