Ethical Assessment of Russian Election Interference: Using the Framework of Just Information Warfare

Policymakers and leaders bear the responsibility of ethical use of cyber-technology. The importance of this notion can be seen in a case study of Russian-based interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election. There is an intersection between ethics and effectiveness when it comes to cyber decisions employed by the government, and it is critical that policymakers follow “Just War Theory” and “Information Ethics” in order to set a precedence of good rather than malice in cyber-interference. Even when the intentions are bad, there is a valid framework that can be followed in order to minimize the impact of actions and inspire a better, more nuanced approach to cyber warfare in the future.