Radu Mihai ȘERBĂNESCU
The purpose of this paper is to analyze possible issues or difficulties in applying one of the conditions of international armed conflicts to exist, namely the resort to armed force, to cyber operations. It will attempt to understand the conventional meaning of the phrase and how these may apply in the cyber context. Departing from debates as to the original meaning of the phrase and following the rationale use by current doctrine, this paper will highlight current trends in the interpretation of when cyber operations constitute a resort to armed force and possible solutions. Unlike previous work, that concentrated on cyber operations as the use of force or armed attacks under jus ad bellum, the focus now turns to the more specific condition of cyber operations that trigger an international armed conflict.
