Accountability for civilians participating in cyber operations

Increasingly, states partner with non-state actors to ensure the defense of their interests in the cyber space. Understanding the status of those actors, who may be called to perform cyber operations against foreign state actors, proves arduous. Such entities play a significant role in the defense of the interests of the states, and in the case a conflict arises, they might be included in the defense of the interest of the state. In case of an international armed conflict, some of the companies participating in this type of coordination initiative and their employees may therefore participate in operations contributing to an armed conflict.