CYBERATTACK ATTRIBUTION A BLUEPRINT FOR PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERSHIP RESEARCH FELLOWS SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS Justin Collins Allison Anderson Cameron Evans Stacia Lee Chris Kim Kayley Knopf FACULTY LEAD Selma Sadzak Jessica Beyer Nicholas Steele Julia Summers Alison Wendler This report is a product of the Applied Research Program in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. The Applied Research Program matches teams of top-achieving Jackson School students with private and public sector organizations seeking dynamic, impactful, and internationally-minded analyses to support their strategic and operational objectives. For more information about the Applied Research Program please contact us at
[email protected]. Executive Summary After three decades of development, adoption, and innovation, the Internet stands at the core of modern society. The same network that connects family and friends across the world similarly ties together all aspects of daily life, from the functioning of the global economy to the operation of governments. The digitization of daily life is the defining feature of the 21st century. While the pervasiveness of Internet-enabled technology brings significant benefits, it also brings serious threats—not only to our economy and safety, but also to our trust in computer systems.1 The Internet is central to modern life, yet major state-sponsored cyberattacks persist in disrupting Internet access and function. These attacks undermine faith in government and public trust in democratic institutions. Attribution attempts to date have been unable to deter states from building malicious code for even greater destructive capabilities. In response, we propose the formation of an attribution organization based on international private sector coordination.