Towards common understandings: the application of established IHL principles to cyber operations

ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog · Mar 7, 2023 · 11m

Cyber operations have become a reality of today’s armed conflicts, and their use is likely to continue to grow in the future. In light of this trend, the ICRC has long maintained that international humanitarian law (IHL) governs – and limits – any use of cyber operations during armed conflicts. But what does that really mean in practice? In this post, ICRC legal advisers Kubo Mačák and Tilman Rodenhäuser provide concise explanations of when and how IHL – and especially its principles of humanity, necessity, distinction, and proportionality – apply to the use of information and communications…