Fourth Annual Workshop on the Bridging the Gap on Cyber Conflict 2019

The fourth annual Workshop on Bridging the Gap of Cyber Conflict was held November 12 at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

This workshop focused on enhancing the sharing of information between emerging researchers and the senior practitioners  of cyber conflict. Panels considered how societies respond to cyber attacks, examined the relationship between intelligence, convert action, and cyber conflict, and a panel of senior policy makers presented lessons from their broad experience.

The Early Career Scholars panel featuring the research and scholarship of emerging researchers in the cyber conflict field. This professional development event enabled researcher to present their ongoing work to a panel of senior researchers and practioners for feedback.

Agenda 2019

The third annual Bridging the Gap on Cyber Conflict Workshop was held November 1-2 at the FireEye Corporation in Washington, DC

This workshop focused on advancing theories of cyber conflict.  Panels considered the evolution of the cyber thread landscape, the evolution, intent and behavior of military cyber commands, the dynamics of persistent engagement and escalation, and the emerging trends and challenges of cyber conflict.  The second day of the workshop was two moderated Early Career Scholars panels featuring the research and scholarship of emerging researchers in the cyber conflict field. This professional development event enabled researcher to present their ongoing work to a panel of senior researchers and practioners for feedback.

Agenda 2018

Third Annual Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict

On June 13th, the Cyber Conflict Studies Association and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs co-hosted the third annual Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict.

The third SOTF workshop expanded on the themes of the 2016 and 2017 workshops and continued the work to understand and define the study of Cyber Conflict as a field of study.

The discussions at 2018 State of the Field Workshop were framed around the foundational questions of political behavior and it’s interaction with cyber.

There were three key discussion focal points:

A) The Nature of Cyber and Informational Power

B) The Nature of Cyber Conflict

C) Cyber, the State, and Society

The final discussion of the workshop inquired on sociology of cyber conflict and encouraged workshop participants take on the challenge of exploring how to define a field in their research.

Breakout sessions focused on the core topics listed below. Each breakout sessions was led by a senior researcher who worked with rapporteurs to provide substance and structure the discussion which followed Chatham House rules. In additional to established researchers, PhD candidates played a particularly significant role in the event as both rapporteurs and participants. The discussion of each topic was led by a senior researcher and a doctoral candidate rapporteur who documented the discussion.

The 2018 SOTF workshop did not publish a consolidated report.

The second annual Bridging the Gap on Cyber Conflict Workshop was held November 1-2 at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

This workshop focused on advancing theories of cyber conflict, continuing from the previous year’s goals of discussing best practices for research design and execution on cyber conflict, as well as panels for professional development.

Whereas the “State of the Field” workshop crosses disciplines to understand the advance of our knowledge against key research questions and the remaining gaps, this workshop brings together experts to ‘bridge the gap’ between practitioners and academics and between established experts and faculty with and the newer generation of scholars entering the field.

Agenda 2017

Second Annual Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict 

On June 8th and 9th, the Cyber Conflict Studies Association and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs co-hosted the second annual Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict. The event brought together practitioners, academics and policymakers to explore the dynamics of cyber conflict: the forces, movements and behaviors of conflict and warfare over and through the Internet, connected devices, and other IT.

The second SOTF workshop expanded on the themes of the 2016 workshop and continued the work to understand and define the study of Cyber Conflict as a field of study.

Breakout sessions focused on the core topics listed below. Each breakout sessions was led by a senior researcher who worked with  rapporteurs to provide substance and structure the discussion which followed Chatham House rules. In additional to established researchers, PhD candidates played a particularly significant role in the event as both rapporteurs and participants. The discussion of each topic  was led by a senior researcher and a doctoral candidate rapporteur who documented the discussion.

Inaugural Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict

The Cyber Conflict Studies Association and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs co-hosted the inaugural Workshop on the State-of-the-Field of Cyber Conflict. The event brought together practitioners, academics and policymakers to explore the dynamics of cyber conflict: the forces, movements and behaviors of conflict and warfare over and through the Internet, connected devices, and other IT.

The first-ever workshop of its kind asked fundamental questions of the political, economic, historical, and legal underpinnings of cyber conflict. The objective of the workshop was to begin the exploration, discussion, and definition of Cyber Conflict as a field of study.

Breakout sessions focused on the core topics listed below:

  • International Relations
  • Tactical and Operational Level Dynamics of Cyber Conflict
  • Strategic Dynamics of International Security
  • Intelligence and Adversaries
  • Cyber Conflict History
  • Legal and Ethical Issues

Each breakout sessions was led by a senior researcher who worked with rapporteurs to provide substance and structure the discussion which followed Chatham House rules. In additional to established researchers, PhD candidates played a particularly significant role in the event as both rapporteurs and participants. The discussion of each topic was led by a senior researcher and a doctoral candidate rapporteur who documented the discussion.

The inaugural State of the Field workshop created a report that provided the baseline for future SOTF workshops.  As part of the report, CCSA created a comprehensive bibliography for each of the areas of focus for the workshop and defined what the working group understood to be the most significant key questions for each focus area.

2016 SOTF_Review_Copy

The Cyber Conflict Studies Association and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs co-hosted the inaugural Bridging the Gap: Workshop on Cyber Conflict.

Research on cyber conflict often requires interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary efforts spanning professions in academia, government, civil society and the private sector as well as disciplines in computer science, engineering, political science, military strategy, area studies, and more. By bringing such diverse expertise together, the workshop facilitated exchange of ideas and future cooperative efforts across professions and issue areas. The workshop particularly focused on discussing best practices for research design and execution on cyber conflict, starting from the formation of research questions to research design and execution to applications beyond the university.

Agenda 2016