DETERRENCE STRATEGIES IN THE FIFTH DOMAIN: TRILATERAL CYBER NEXUS BETWEEN USA, CHINA AND RUSSIA
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Date
2023-05-18
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DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Abstract
The technologically revolutionized 21st century prompted a novel domain that was malleable, volatile yet porous serving as a realm of asymmetric warfare known as ‘Fifth Domain’ of strategy. This potential battle space incited strategic competition because of its dynamism, intractability and interconnectedness. This prompted the importance for states to protect their critical infrastructures and deter any prospective attacks especially for cyber-space giants like USA, China and Russia. The enigmatic nexus between Cyber deterrence and structural malleability of fifth domain as elucidated in cyber persistent engagement stability theory places the deterrence postures of three giants in paradox. The trilateral cyber deterrence junction between USA, China and Russia has spillover effects on international digital order. This have raised the importance of conducting research to delve into this paradoxical conundrum of cyber deterrence for this purpose descriptive yet correlational and analytical style of research methodology have been employed to probe into this matter. the second chapter, the genesis of cyber deterrence strategy has been articulated along with the conceptual growth of this phenomena. The dispersed evolution of cyber deterrence in practice have been narrated with a regional prism. In the third chapter, the theoretical lens of cyber persistent engagement stability theory has been used to recount on the cyber deterrence enigma both conceptually and pragmatically. However, this chapter also illustrated the gray areas in theory articulating the gaps that this theory entails while explaining the dilemma of cyber deterrence. This chapter shed light on how the loopholes that accompany the deterrence phenomena in fifth domain are reflected in futile efforts to execute this strategy. In the 4th chapter, the deterrence posture of USA has been elucidated with its development during different administrations, the Command-and-Control system used to execute the policy, the faces of United States cyber deterrence policy and many other factors has been analyzed. The deterrence posture of USA has been a reflective of offense-defense balance with its deterrence posture carrying no implied element in it. In the fifth chapter, the implied character of Russian and Chinese deterrence posture has been expounded which is in all but name. in the 6th chapter the loopholes, challenges and gray areas in the deterrence postures of these three states projected at each other have been narrated after a comparative analysis of their deterrence postures. In 7th chapter, the implications of deterrence strategies of each of the individual state have been narrated with the impact of trilateral nexus on international order. It is concluded cyber deterrence is difficult to be executed but its relevance could still be traced in strategies of states. Maintaining deterrence stability is the biggest challenge in cyber space that states are trying to cope with.