Cyber warfare is outpacing global legal accountability

The article highlights the increasing integration of cyber operations into modern conflicts, as seen in recent tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran. It discusses the significant challenges in applying existing international law to cyber warfare, primarily due to difficulties in attributing attacks to states, establishing a legal threshold for the 'use of force' in cyberspace, the absence of appropriate international judicial forums, issues of sovereign immunity, and the complexity of technical evidence. The piece argues that despite the applicability of principles like the prohibition on the use of force under the UN Charter and state responsibility, practical hurdles lead to a widening gap between the occurrence of damaging cyber incidents and legal accountability. It concludes by emphasizing India's growing vulnerability and stake in actively shaping international norms and regulations for responsible behavior in cyberspace.