Cyber capabilities as a foreign policy instrument

This chapter addresses the second corollary question presented in Chapter 1: the advantages and limitations of cyber capabilities. It explores the dilemma confronted by small states by clarifying the utility of cyber capabilities as a foreign policy instrument. The chapter is divided into three sections. The first evaluates the conditions under which cyber capabilities can be advantageous for small states. The second situates cyber capabilities within the foreign policy arsenal of states, while assessing the feasibility of cyber operations for the three cases selected for the book. This analysis is vital because existing studies mostly consider cyber capabilities as an enabler of military force and not as a broader instrument to advance foreign policy. The last section summarises the key arguments of the chapter and links the ideas discussed with the rest of the book.