Conflicts between states do not have to manifest themselves in bloody wars, but can also be carried out more covertly in the virtual space of information technology. The spectrum of so-called cyberattacks is broad and ranges from the theft of intellectual property to disinformation campaigns and election manipulation to interventions in the infrastructure of an opposing country – by shutting down power plants through a hacker attack. With the help of a globally unique data set, Heidelberg political scientists are investigating the behavior of democracies and autocracies in such cyber conflicts.