Does Lebanon possess the capabilities to defend itself from cyber-theats? Learning from Estonia's experience. (c2019)

Abstract

The growing danger of cyber-threats has forced many states to develop and strengthen their cyber-security capabilities. The complex nature of cyber-threats has a profound impact on traditional international relations, as many states today consider cyberspace as the greatest challenge to their national security. Research literature on cyberspace and cyber-threats is particularly limited in the case of Lebanon, despite Lebanon’s interesting cyber-threats history. The domination of traditional security dilemmas have restricted Lebanon from developing a successful cyber-security. The lack of attention and development for cyber-security has made Lebanon an appealing target for various actors to conduct their cyber-operations. The objective of the thesis is to determine whether Lebanon has the ability to defend itself from cyber-threats in spite of a missing cyber-security policy. The thesis offers an analysis of Lebanon’s current conditions with regard to cyber-security at various levels. The thesis employs the international legal framework on cybercrime, the Budapest Convention, in order to assess Lebanon’s capabilities to counter cyber-threats. Furthermore, this study utilizes Estonia, a small Baltic nation considered as one of the leaders in the field, as a comparative case to further examine Lebanon’s cyber-security and identify areas that would bolster Lebanon’s capabilities.