SECURITISATION OF CYBER SPACE - FROM PRISM OF DETERRENCE STRATEGY

Deterrence in cyber space has most often succumbed to the technical and legal limitations of digital and physical world respectively. Cyber deterrence aims to deter an (unwanted) cyber interaction by not only rendering it technically unfeasible but also increasing the ex-post facto costs for the aggressor. Despite major challenges confronting realization of "perfect in domain cyber deterrence", this paper aims to develop a novel subject-object relationship in a given cyber environment and makes a case of achieving credible "cyber deterrence" through comprehensive application of denial and punishment strategies. Doing so, while capitalizing on snap history of cyber interactions, it also projects the potential "cyber escalation ladder" and forecasts the future of cyber deterrence, which can guide the policy makers to meet desired ends.