New Plane of US-Russia Rivalry: An Analysis of Cyber Strategic Competition between the U.S. and Russia

Abstract

This paper argues that the competition between the United States (US) and Russia in cyberspace is a hegemonic competition to achieve global dominance. Experts have stated that cyberwarfare is imminent and will be destructive than nuclear warfare if it happens. Thus, cyberwarfare needs to be prevented. Deterrence has been suggested as a means to prevent cyberwarfare since it has successfully prevented nuclear warfare. However, the unique nature of cyberspace makes deterrence ineffective. This failure has compelled states like the US and Russia to collaborate to find ways to prevent cyberwarfare. However, because there is not a universal understanding of cyber-norms, states understand, interpret and approach cyberspace differently.

The US seeks cybersecurity and the free flow of information while Russia seeks information security and state sovereignty in cyberspace. Thus, this paper argues that deterrence does not work to prevent conflict in cyberspace due to the unique nature of cyberspace – virtuality and anonymity – that are different from conventional domains. Because of the failure of deterrence, the US and Russia have sought alternative approaches to prevent conflict in cyberspace. However, this also failed due to fundamentally different perceptions of cyberspace. This has led the US and Russia to compete for hegemonic status in cyberspace to promote an international order that favors itself.