Legal framework of cyber security

Abstract

The subject of cyber security has come to blend the social, economic, political and military implications of uses of ICTs by different actors for diverse purposes. Despite the absence of a single dedicated legal framework to address the cyber domain, cyberspace and actions in it are addressed by numerous legal disciplines and normative instruments that, unfortunately, do not always provide immediate and convincing remedies to current cyber security issues. This chapter will outline the scope and core areas of cyber security from a legal perspective; introduce selected legal instruments and authorities addressing cyber security in its multiple facets; and some recent conclusions about the applicability and sufficiency of cyber security law to deal with emerging cyber security concerns. It will conclude with a discussion of some of the reasons behind the diminishing legal certainty in this field and the potential implications of declining authority of law in the context of cyber security.