“Cyber disruption,” ransomware, and critical infrastructure: A new US understanding of “attack”? | Duke- Lawfire

If the US now recognizes a ransomware “cyber disruption” of “key infrastructure” to be a “strike” under international law, it would appear to be a game-changer in the US’ perspective of what types of cyber activities would provoke the freedom of self under UN Charter Article 51, which necessitates an “armed attack” by its text. To be clear, it looks that the US now considers a cyber-operation against US-defined “critical infrastructure” that causes considerable “disruption” to constitute an “attack.” A ransomware outbreak, despite the lack of direct loss of life or physical devastation, appears to be enough to qualify as a cyber-attack, at least when targeting critical infrastructure.

Source: https://sites.duke.edu/lawfire/2021/06/18/cyber-disruption-ransomware-and-critical-infrastructure-a-new-us-understanding-of-attack/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2006.22.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief