Cyber Insights 2026: Cyberwar and Rising Nation State Threats

By Kevin Townsend for SecurityWeek
Wednesday, February 4, 2026

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But we do have a definition of cyberwarfare. “The Tallinn Manual provides a great definition of aggression in cyberspace, explains what is permitted and what is not, and addresses both pre-emptive measures and response to the act of aggression in cyberspace by state actors,” explains Ilia Kolochenko, CEO at Immuniweb, and a cybersecurity partner at Platt Law LLP.

The problem, he suggests, is that international law has been eroded by the number of countries who prefer to ignore it. “While legal scholars and law professors can provide a well-defined and precise assessment of the legality of state offensive or counter-offensive activities and acts in cyberspace, the key question here is: What next?”

To answer this, we need to understand the perpetrator and purpose of the attack – cybercriminal or nation actor. So far, nation state actors have caused little damage. More harm has come from criminal ransomware attacks against critical industries. But the world is changing rapidly. Geopolitical tensions are increasing around the world, and the threat of kinetic warfare is growing. Read Full Article