Research has shown that governments have increasingly been interested in cyberwarfare for offensive purposes, for example by investing in zero-days and by carrying out cyber operations. While the...Show moreResearch has shown that governments have increasingly been interested in cyberwarfare for offensive purposes, for example by investing in zero-days and by carrying out cyber operations. While the US invested in cyberwarfare, nuclear tensions in the North Korean political conflict increased. This research will examine, by using a theory building process tracing approach, how cyberwarfare used by the US between 2010 and the end of Obama’s presidency in January 2017 affected nuclear tension in the political conflict with North Korea. By using offensive realism theory, the research concludes that there have been too many limits in North Korea to successfully launch a cyber operation to limit nuclear tension. Nevertheless, the US military has shown an interest in employing cyberwarfare for offensive use. Especially left of launch techniques have been explored to limit nuclear proliferation in the international system. Although it cannot be said with certainty that norms with regards to the use of cyberwarfare are changing internationally, tension in the physic domain may lead to a reaction in the cyber domain.Show less
