16.09.2026
In this article, Jonas Hemmelskamp, Nadja Douglas, and Simon Muschick examine how the OSCE can serve as a forum for cyber diplomacy and confidence-building despite geopolitical tensions.
Cyber in War: Assessing the Strategic, Tactical, and Operational Utility of Military Cyber Operations
- 2 January 2020
- Schulze, Matthias
- EN
The study analyzes the use of cyber capabilities in war and conflict situations. The research question is: What good is cyber in war? What is the utility of military cyber operations in conflict situations and what obstacles exist? The paper analyzes a small set of cases where cyber capabilities have been used for military purposes. Using the ‘three levels of warfare’ heuristic, the study outlines the potentials and operational restrictions of military cyber operations. The analysis proposes a set of variables and hypotheses, such as the timing of use of cyber capabilities and the operational complexity of a cyber operation, for further theory building.
More external publications
- Research and Analysis
24.08.2026
In this publication, Annegret Bendiek, Jonas Hemmelskamp, Michael Bayerlein, and Maik von der Forst analyse the current state of the healthcare sector as a target of malicious cyber activities on the national, European, and global levels.
26 June 2025
In this article, Jakob Bund examines how authoritarian states like Russia, China, and North Korea increasingly harness non-state cyber actors to expand their capabilities, blur attribution, and complicate global responses. He argues that this growing fusion of state and criminal or contractor activity demands integrated threat assessments and response tools that can operate independently of political attribution.