Mobile - U.S.: Laws of war apply to cyber attacks

U.S.: Laws of war apply to cyber attacks

U.S.: Laws of war apply to cyber attacks By Aram Roston - Staff writer Posted: Tuesday Sep 18, 2012 20:18:17 EDT The U.S. government believes that cyber attacks can amount to armed attacks, and are subject to international humanitarian law and rules of war, the top State Department lawyer said Tuesday. Harold Koh, the State Department’s chief legal adviser, unveiled the U.S. government’s position on the rules of cyberwar at a conference hosted by U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md. Koh announced that it was U.S. government policy that certain cyber attacks may constitute a “use of force,” a legal term defined by the UN Charter. Functionally, such cyber attacks are only legal if a military engagement is authorized by the United Nations, or if the attacks are launched in self defense. Koh also introduced a series of 10 legal principles about cyberwar. The first is the gene...

Full article: http://www.armytimes.com/mobile/news/2012/09/dn-laws-of-w...