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Cyber-IR Domain

Defined as the “space” at the intersection of international relations and cyberspace, this domain consists of the key layers of the Internet and the levels of analysis in international relations – their intersection, and their interactions.

The figure below displays the dimensions of the domain.

High-level Ontology for Cyber-IR domain.
Source: Choucri, Fairman, Agarwal (2021).

Ontology: Cyber-IR

Cyber-IR captures the multiple pressures and threat that can result in social damage & fundamental destruction.

See dropdown for details of each dimensions.

DIMENSION 1: SYSTEM STATE

  1. CYBER-IR SYSTEM
    1. Internet-Layers
      • Physical Layer
      • Logical Layer
      • Information Layer
      • People & User Layer
    2. International Relations (IR) – Levels
      • Levels of Analysis
      • Cross Level Actors & Entities
      • Cross Level Activities
      • Others
    3. Supply Chain
      • Contents & Components
      • Sources, Locations & Owners
      • Trade & Transactions
      • Uncertainties, Problems, Barriers
    4. Standards
      • Formal
      • Informal
      • Evolving
      • Contingent
  2. INTERSECTION OF LAYERS & LEVELS
    1. Types of Intersection
      • Features & Salience
      • Infrastructure & Communication
      • Management & Governance
      • Jurisdictions & Locations
    2. Internet Institutions & Decision Entities
      • Innovators, Technologists & Protocol Design
      • Operators, Routing & Supports
      • Internet System Providers
      • Certificate Authorities & Other
    3. International Relations (IR) Institutions & Decision Entities
      • State Actors & Institutions
      • International & Regional Entities
      • Market, Industry, Business & Non-State Actors
      • Other
    4. Interactions across Levels & Layers
      • Drivers of Interactions
      • Actors & Impacts
      • Relevance & Impacts
      • Others
  3. CYBER-IR ACTORS & ACTIVITIES
    1. Individual & Groups
      • Users
      • Content Providers
      • Supporters
      • Opponents
    2. State Users & Activities
      • Governance & Regulation
      • Defense & National Security
      • Services Provision
      • Regulation, Extraction & Other
    3. International Actors & Activities
      • Coordination of Cooperation
      • Supports for Institutions & Missions
      • Policy Development
      • Outreach & Other
    4. Innovations and Innovators
      • Private, Public Mixed
      • Physical System Innovations
      • Knowledge Innovations
      • Institutional Innovations
  4. GLOBAL ACTORS & ACTIVITIES
    1. Anonymous
      • Private
      • Public
      • Mixed
      • Focus
    2. Formal & Informal
      • Institutional
      • Sporadic
      • Known
      • Unknown
    3. Illegitimate
      • Organized
      • Sporadic
      • Known
      • Unknown
    4. Properties
      • Focus
      • Funding
      • Scale & Scope
      • Other
DIMENSION 2: PROBLEMS FOR CYBER-IR SYSTEMS

  1. THREATS TO LAYERS
    1. Physical Systems & Operations
      • Cables, Wires & infrastructure
      • Network Systems
      • ICT Attacks Vectors
      • Supply Chain, Industrial Trade Threats
    2. Cyber Security Threats & Transgressions
      • Malware & Malicious Code
      • Bypass-Security Modes
      • Overt Conduct to Damage
      • Other
    3. Threats & Damage
      • To Information
      • To Capabilities
      • To Intents
      • Other
    4. Threats to People & Users
      • Information & Communication Threats
      • Unauthorized Access
      • Misinformation
      • Other
  2. THREATS TO LEVELS
    1. Individual & Groups
      • Threats to Cyber Access
      • Identity Loss
      • Threats to Privacy
      • Other
    2. State Level Targets & Damages
      • Critical Infrastructure
      • Defense Infrastructure
      • Industry & Manufacturing
      • Other
    3. International Disruptions
      • Terrestrial
      • Undersea
      • Space
      • Other
    4. Global Risks & Disruptions
      • Social & Political
      • Economic & Financial
      • Environmental
      • Other
  3. THREATS AT INTERSECTION OF LAYERS AND LEVELS
    1. Physical
      • Level of Analysis
      • Layers of Internet
      • For Profit
      • Not for Profit
    2. Computational
      • Content Targets
      • Application Targets
      • Innovation Targets
      • Other
    3. Operational
      • Institutional
      • Law & Regulation
      • Managerial
      • Procedural
    4. Policy
      • Regulations
      • Type & Focus
      • Targets
      • Compliance
  4. LOSS OF VALUE – LAYERS & LEVELS
    1. Productivity, Time & Money
      • Information Loss
      • Loss of National/Business Secrets
      • Loss of Value
      • Other
    2. Physical System
      • Infrastructure
      • Process Interruptions
      • Operational damages
      • Other
    3. Transactions & Investments
      • Reputation Loss
      • Financial Loss
      • Regulatory Loss
      • Insurance Loss
    4. Loss of Legitimacy
      • Loss of Trust
      • Loss of Legal Status
      • Loss of Protections
      • Other
DIMENSION 3: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY RESPONSES

  1. LAYERS OF INTERNET
    1. Physical Layer
      • Protections Modes
      • Improved Maintenance
      • Strengthening Operations
      • Customizing Responses
    2. Supply Chain Structure & Management
      • Review & Assess
      • Improving Legal Protections
      • Upgrading Management & Operations
      • Review of Insurance
    3. Network Security
      • Enhanced Authorization
      • Security at Control Points
      • Security of Exchange Points
      • System Resilience
    4. Integrated Risk Management
      • Prevention
      • Risk Assessment
      • Early Warning Systems
      • Capability & Response
  2. LEVELS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
    1. Security of Critical Infrastructure
      • Land Based
      • Undersea
      • Communication Operations
      • Other
    2. Security of Human Wellbeing
      • Protections of Workforce
      • Provision of Training
      • Benefits Adequacy
      • Operational Safety
    3. Environmental Security
      • Viable Working Conditions
      • Wellbeing Protections
      • Quality of Operations
      • Other
    4. Cybersecurity
      • Training Measures
      • Information Updates
      • Restoring Security Measures
      • Other
  3. COMPUTER NETWORK DEFENSE
    1. Defense Analysis
    2. Infrastructure
    3. Data Protection
    4. Cryptography
  4. SYSTEM RESILIENCE
    1. Anticipation
    2. Adaption
    3. Innovation
    4. Organization
DIMENSION 4: SOCIO-ECONOMIC & POLITICAL RESPONSES

  1. INDIVIDUALS & GROUP LEVEL
    1. Control Point Analysis
    2. Modelling & Simulation
    3. Analytics for Cyber-IR System Resilience
    4. Others
  2. STATE LEVEL
    1. Legal and Regulatory Systems
      • Communication & Cyber Law
      • Contract & Commercial Law
      • Consumer Protection Law
      • Civil & Criminal Law
    2. Capacity Building & Social Capital
      • Encryption Capability
      • Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
      • Digital Rights
      • Other
    3. Business & Non-State Initiatives
      • Codes of Conduct & Best Practices
      • IT Vendors Responsibility
      • Information Sharing
      • Other
    4. Partnership & Voluntary Initiative
  3. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES
    1. International Institutions
      • International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
      • International Court of Justice (ICJ)
      • World Trade Organization (WTO)
      • Interpol & Other
    2. Joint Cyber-IR Initiatives
      • World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
      • World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT)
      • Millennium Development Goals
      • Other
    3. Cyber International Institutions
      • Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
      • Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
      • Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
      • Other
    4. International Law & Norms
      • Public International Law
      • Environmental Law
      • International Cyber Law
      • Other
  4. GLOBAL RESONSES
    1. Situational Awareness
    2. Norms & Ethics
    3. Advocacy & Support Systems
    4. Other