The global market for private military companies and cyber operations: elements for attributing state responsibility

The aim of this article is to analyze the expansion of the global market of private military companies in the field of cyber operations and to reflect on the possibility of State responsibility for the actions of these non-state actors. From a methodological point of view, the research has an exploratory character, since it deals with a topic that has been understudied in the literature. The technique used includes a bibliographic review based on academic articles and international documents. The article is divided into two parts. The first part highlights the expansion of the use of communications and information technologies and the emergence of private military companies in cybersecurity. The second part discusses the possibilities of holding states accountable for cyber operations conducted by private military companies. As a partial result, the emergence of a global market of private military companies in cybersecurity could be observed. The attribution of state responsibility in the case of cyber operations conducted by private actors can be analyzed from three perspectives: technical, political, and legal. As for the legal perspective, the literature points to divergences between the application of the theories of effective control and overall control.