Semi-State Actors in Cybersecurity

by Florian J Egloff

both historically on the sea and in cyberspace, states are not the main actors but are reliant on private actors to act in their interests.

The historical analysis of longevity and depth of privateering structures suggests a prolonged period of blurred lines between state and non-state actors. Thus, if one follows the argument about the alikeness of privateering and some of the overlapping activity between states and criminal networks, then a (historically existing) lock-in effect suggests that this policy has a self-stabilizing quality.