The dataset HD.CY-CON covers malicious cyber operations, which came to be known, between 2000 and 2019 by state and non-state actors. It specifically documents initiating and receiving actors of cyber-crime, cyber espionage and cyber sabotage operations, the respective modus operandi, an intensity score as well as a detailed categorization of the technical and political attribution process. Overall, it consists of 1.265 incident descriptions, using 43 different categories to highlight the prominent role of different types of cyber proxies in obfuscating or concealing the attribution of cyber operations. HD.CY-CON supplements existing datasets on cyber conflict behavior in four areas: measuring cyber conflict intensity, the interaction between On- und Offline conflict dynamics as well as cyber proxy behavior and detailing attribution processes. In this pilot study, we use a liberal explanatory model to examine the use of cyber-proxies by democratic and autocratic regime types. Whereas autocratic regimes use cyber proxies to obfuscate offensive operations vis-à-vis democratic regimes, the latter utilize the advantage of IT-security providers to technically attribute operations that do not create political pressure for an escalatory response.

The dataset HD.CY-CON covers malicious cyber

operations, which came to be known, between

2000 and 2019 by state and non-state actors. It

specifically documents initiating and receiving

actors of cyber-crime, cyber espionage and cy

–

ber sabotage operations, the respective modus

operandi, an intensity score as well as a detailed

categorization of the technical and political at

–

tribution process. Overall, it consists of 1.265 in

–

cident descriptions, using 43 different catego

–

ries to highlight the prominent role of different

types of cyber proxies in obfuscating or concea

–

ling the attribution of cyber operations.

HD.CY-CON supplements existing datasets on

cyber conflict behavior in four areas: measuring

cyber conflict intensity, the interaction between

On- und Offline conflict dynamics as well as cy

–

ber proxy behavior and detailing attribution

processes. In this pilot study, we use a liberal ex

–

planatory model to examine the use of cyber

proxies by democratic and autocratic regime ty

–

pes. Whereas autocratic regimes use cyber pro

–

xies to obfuscate offensive operations vis-à-vis

democratic regimes, the latter utilize the advan

–

tage of IT-security providers to technically attri

–

bute operations that do not create political

pressure for an escalatory response.

The dataset HD.CY-CON covers malicious cyber

operations, which came to be known, between

2000 and 2019 by state and non-state actors. It

specifically documents initiating and receiving

actors of cyber-crime, cyber espionage and cy

–

ber sabotage operations, the respective modus

operandi, an intensity score as well as a detailed

categorization of the technical and political at

–

tribution process. Overall, it consists of 1.265 in

–

cident descriptions, using 43 different catego

–

ries to highlight the prominent role of different

types of cyber proxies in obfuscating or concea

–

ling the attribution of cyber operations.

HD.CY-CON supplements existing datasets on

cyber conflict behavior in four areas: measuring

cyber conflict intensity, the interaction between

On- und Offline conflict dynamics as well as cy

–

ber proxy behavior and detailing attribution

processes. In this pilot study, we use a liberal ex

–

planatory model to examine the use of cyber

proxies by democratic and autocratic regime ty

–

pes. Whereas autocratic regimes use cyber pro

–

xies to obfuscate offensive operations vis-à-vis

democratic regimes, the latter utilize the advan

–

tage of IT-security providers to technically attri

–

bute operations that do not create political

pressure for an escalatory response.