Rise of a Cybered Westphalian Age: The Coming Decades

Abstract

No frontier lasts forever, and no global commons extends endlessly. Today we are witnessing the fence building process of the cyberspace. The days of limited cyber spying through software backdoors or betrayals by trusted insiders, vandalism, or even theft had evolved into the ability to deliver devastating blows from afar. Thus, states are establishing sovereign control in the virtual world in the name of security and economic sustainability. This paper analyses the emergence of what we call cybered territorial sovereignty as a consequence of states’ efforts to secure their borders against cyber attacks. The case of Stuxnet is introduced as an instance of new threat faced in the cyberspace. We argue Stuxnet marks the beginning of a new cyber Westphalian world of virtual borders and national cyber commands. We have seen this phenomena before as states consolidated their position following the treaties of Onasbrucke and Munster. Existing theories about the emergence of international rules and institutions can help us understand how the Westphalian model will adapt to the demands of securing cyberspace.