Restrained by Design: The Political Economy of Cybersecurity

Abstract: Why, despite the possibility of catastrophic effects, have cyber attacks been primarily limited to crime, espionage, and hacktivism? This article uses IR and economic theory to argue that cyber conflict is constrained by the sociotechnical dynamics of cyberspace. Its cooperatively constructed infrastructure creates incentives for restraint and moderation: participation in the cyberspace institution for its benefits is tied directly to vulnerability. The result is cyber competition that is bounded vertically but unbounded horizontally, more akin to cheating at the margins than an outright struggle under anarchy. Lindsay concludes with the prediction that this will lead to more devious cheating but less damaging attacks in the future.