International Relations in the Digital Age: Governance and Security in Cyberspace

The proliferation of Information and Communications Technologies is a gamechanger for international relations, and the classical theories are not suited for application in cyber studies. The current literature on cyber studies, is fragmented, and lacks a common theoretical framework. Additionally, the current cyber discourse treats cyber governance and cybersecurity as two separate concepts when in fact they are intertwined. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining the models of cyber governance, followed by an analysis of key cybersecurity events. This paper takes a multidisciplinary approach by synthesizing concepts from international law, computer sciences, and IR. After analysis of the preceding, this paper offers a novel theory, dubbed the Governance and Security in Cyberspace (GSC) framework, which is designed to understand IR as it relates to cyberspace.