Стр. 9 - V

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Authors: Andrey Krutskikh, Professor, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russ-
ian Federation, Doctor of Science (History)
Anatoly Streltsov, Professor, Deputy Director, Information Security Institute, Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Doctor of Science (History), Doctor of Science (Technology), Doctor of Science (Law)
THE IMPACT of information and communica-
tion technologies (ICT) on all aspects of human
life, society and the State cannot be overempha-
sized. Apart from the obvious benefits in terms of
economic, social and cultural development, the en-
hancement of the role of ICT in the contemporary
world inevitably brings new risks for international
and national security. There is already real evidence
that the damage from the use of ICT for purposes
contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, as
well as for criminal and terrorist purposes may be comparable to the most destructive weapons.
The list of potential targets for information weapon attacks includes not only the information
resources of the Internet, but also the critical infrastructures of States in the industry, transport
and energy sectors. What's more, the scale and technological level of such destructive impact
are steadily increasing.
All countries without exception acknowledge the severity of threats of a criminal, terrorist and
military-political nature in the information space. The international community has been engaged
in discussion on how to ensure international information security (IIS) for more than a decade
and a half. At this point, the apparent key problem is the lack of a full-fledged international legal
framework governing ICT-related activities by States, including their military aspects.
The UN GGE on IIS will convene for the fourth time. In 2010 Russia's Chairmanship ended
with the adoption of a report whose wording made it possible to lay the basis for a substantive
discussion on IIS. As evaluated by Deborah Stokes, an Australian expert who headed the GGE
in 2012-2013, the report "paved the way" for discussion of the most topical problems in this
area, including the politico-military aspects of the use of ICT.
The Australian Chairmanship, in turn, resulted in a document that consolidated the general in-
terest of States in the peaceful use of ICT. In addition, the report of this GGE reached consen-
sus on another fundamental issue, that of the applicability of international law to the use of
ICT. The document lays out a balanced formula: while international law is generally applicable
to the field, there has to be a common understanding as to the way States can apply it, and in
what direction, if necessary, it should be adapted.
International law has no reference to universally recognized notions of war or armed struggle.
Moreover, there is no universally accepted definition of information war though some interna-
International Law and the Problem of International Information
Security