Attribution: a major challenge for EU cyber sanctions; an analysis of WannaCry, NotPetya, Cloud Hopper, Bundestag Hack and the attack on the OPCW

Abstract: The attribution of cyberattacks is a sovereign act by the EU Member States. However, these all have different technical and intelligence capabilities. This leads to a lack of coherence in European cyber diplomacy, for exam­ple when imposing cyber sanctions. Analysis of policy responses to the WannaCry, NotPetya, Cloud Hopper, OPCW, and Bundestag hack cyber incidents reveals the following problems: Attribution takes a long time and relies on intelligence from NATO partners; the technical realities and the legal facts for classifying and pros­ecuting cyberattacks do not always match; the weighting of the criteria for establishing what constitutes a crime is unclear. Cyber sanctions should be proportionate, targeted measures and destructive attacks, such as WannaCry or NotPetya, should result in harsher punishment than everyday cases of cyber espionage, such as Cloud Hopper or the Bundestag hack. The EU must adapt its tools accordingly. The EU should tighten the legal criteria and har

Object Details

• Alternative title: Attribution als Herausforderung für EU-Cybersanktionen: eine Analyse von WannaCry, NotPetya, Cloud Hopper, Bundestag-Hack, OVCW
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 42 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; begutachtet

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: SWP Research Paper ; Bd. 11/2021

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik ; Informatik ; Recht

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Mannheim
• (who): SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
• (when): 2021
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Berlin
• (who): Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
• (when): 2021
• Creator: Bendiek, Annegret ; Schulze, Matthias
• Contributor: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit

Further information

• DOI: 10.18449/2021RP11
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-77739-2
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:29 AM CEST