Cyber Espionage and the Limits of International Law

This illuminating book adopts a pragmatic approach to examining the intersection of cyber espionage and international law. Drawing on his experiences as a former cyber intelligence analyst, Asbjørn Thranov investigates why cyber espionage has become such a prevalent method of state intelligence collection and why international law plays only a limited role in shaping how states conduct cyber espionage in practice.Chapters illustrate how cyber espionage functions, grounding the analysis in real-world practices to explore the disconnect between international legal rules and the realities of state intelligence collection. Thranov utilises empirical materials to uncover patterns of state practice typically hidden from public view, including WikiLeaks documents and intelligence doctrines. Challenging dominant assumptions about international law’s influence on state behaviour, the book scrutinises how states selectively use international law to constrain rivals, justify their own spying, and manage diplomatic fallout.Cyber Espionage and the Limits of International Law is an essential read for scholars and students of international law, technology law, as well as those interested in cyber operations, intelligence studies, and political science more broadly. Policymakers, cybersecurity officials, and journalists will also find the book’s insights useful for understanding and reforming the landscape of cyber espionage.