Cyber operations and Jus Ad Bellum

This thesis concerns itself with the evaluation of cyber operations within the framework of jus ad bellum, the branch that examines under which conditions it is possible to resort to force in accordance with international law. Although the main focus of this thesis is to evaluate whether cyber operations may constitute the use of force, aggression, or armed attack, and if they do, how a state may respond to them in accordance with the international law; other topics related to these questions are also reviewed with the aim of providing integrated analysis of the subject. This tripartite research has been formed by interpreting international conventions, international customary law, and general legal principles, which constitute the general sources of international law, in the light of judicial decisions and within the framework of opinions put forward in the doctrine. The first part of the thesis summarizes the general principles of jus ad bellum and then assess cyber operations in the context of international legal norms. The second part of the thesis provides a graded examination of the circumstances in which cyber operations may violate international law. The third part of the study focuses on the issue of attribution of cyber operations to the responsible states.