Cybersecurity threats affect all aspects of society; critical infrastructures (such as networks, corporate systems, water supply systems, and intelligent transportation systems) are especially prone to attacks and can have tangible negative consequences on society. However, these critical cyber systems are generally governed by multiple jurisdictions, for instance the Metro in the Washington, D.C. area is managed by the states of Virginia and Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia (DC) through Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Additionally, the water treatment infrastructure managed by DC Water consists of waste water input from Fairfax and Arlington counties, and the district (i.e. DC). Additionally, cyber attacks usually launch from unknown sources, through unknown switches and servers, and end up at the destination without much knowledge on their source or path. Certain infrastructures are shared amongst multiple countries, another idiosyncrasy that exacerbates the issue of governance. This law paper however, is not concerned with the general governance of these infrastructures, rather with the ambiguity in the relevant laws or doctrines about which authority would prevail in the context of a cyber threat or a cyber-attack, with a focus on federal vs. state issues, international law involvement, federal preemption, technical aspects that could affect lawmaking, and conflicting responsibilities in cases of cyber crime. A legal analysis of previous cases is presented, as well as an extended discussion addressing different sides of the argument.
翻译:网络安全的威胁影响到社会的各个方面;关键基础设施(如网络、公司系统、供水系统和智能运输系统)特别容易受到攻击,并可能对社会产生实际的负面后果;然而,这些关键的网络系统通常由多个司法管辖区管理,例如哥伦比亚特区华盛顿地区的地铁,由弗吉尼亚州和马里兰州管理,哥伦比亚特区(DC)通过华盛顿首都地区过境管理局(WMATA)管理;此外,由DC Water管理的水处理基础设施由Fairfax州和Arlington州以及地区(即DC)的废水输入组成。 此外,网络攻击通常通过未知的开关和服务器从未知来源发动,最终在目的地结束,而对其来源或路径知之甚少。 某些基础设施由多国共有,另一个加剧治理问题的特征是哥伦比亚特区(DC)通过华盛顿首都地区过境管理局(WMATA)管理。 此外,由Fairfax和Arlington县以及地区(即DC)管理的水处理废水输入的废水。此外,网络攻击通常通过未知的开关口和服务器从未知来源发动,然后在目的地结束,而没有多少人知道其来源或路径。