When Democracies Attack: Examining the Offensive Strategies of Democracies in Cyberspace

A large amount of research in international relations has focused on how regime type affects the behavior of democracies regarding traditional, kinetic conflict. However, less is known regarding how democracies operate in cyberspace as it pertains to cyberaggression. Thus, this study examines the offensive strategies of democratic states that initiated state-sponsored cyberattacks against other states from 2005 through 2020. In examining the cyberattacks initiated by democracies during this period, we aim to better understand the motives behind democratically initiated cyberattacks, the regime types that are likely to be targeted in the attacks, and the types of cyberattacks that democracies are likely to deploy. In conducting this analysis, we find that democracies rarely attack other democratic states in cyberspace and democracies are likely to deploy more aggressive and hostile attacks when targeting authoritarian regimes. We attribute these findings to the effects democratic institutions have on state behavior in the cyber realm. These findings have important implications for considering how democratic institutions affect international relations and cybersecurity.