Controls for the Use of Cyber Weapons in the Light of International Humanitarian Law: What are the International Efforts to Legally Regulate Cyber Weapons?

The article analyzes the controls on the use of cyber weapons in the light of international humanitarian law. This is to show the extent to which the rules of international humanitarian law can be applied to cyber weapons. Cyberspace, in particular, is considered one of the modern fields that man has sought to develop and exploit in a way that achieves interests. Therefore, the concept of cyber weapons, the means and attacks that take place in it, and the scope of international recognition of these weapons will be clarified. The study also shows the appropriateness of the rules of international humanitarian law to be applied to these weapons. In conclusion, the authors formulate a set of results and recommendations. The most important of which is that the use of cyber weapons led to the creation and imposition of the concept of unconventional warfare that enables the conflicting parties, whether States or other parties, to launch attacks on other parties and inflict severe damage on all economic and social aspects. Finally, countries must seek to find new strategies that are compatible with the special nature that distinguishes cyberspace from physical reality and with the security challenges that arise with the continuous development of technology. The international legal rules regulating wars and conflicts must be reviewed in a manner consistent with the continuous technical and technological development. The international criminal justice system must also be activated, and cyber weapons must be included in agreements related to the control of the use of weapons.