Topic of thesis: The thesis concerns cyberwar and the Offense – Defense Theory. Offense – Defense Theory has the potential to serve as a basis for a shift towards a new theory that adapts to cyberspace for its explicit reference to the importance of the technological factor. There have been many attempts of fitting cyberspace into classic theories of International Relations, but few attempts to tackle Offense – Defense Theory in this domain, mostly limited to paragraph or paper-length approaches. On the contrary, the aim of this thesis is to provide an in-depth analysis of ODT to see thoroughly how it could be applied in cyberspace and to analyze, also through qualitative analysis, the characteristics of escalation. Of course, classic Offense – Defense Theory must be “interpreted” to fit to warfare in the virtual domain, where there are no actual territories to conquer and there is no firepower likely to generate a degree of damage comparable to kinetic warfare, with substantial implications on escalation. Offense – Defense Theory tackles the relationship between technological advancement and politics is concerned, a relationship that could result in war or in peace depending on how the scales shift. For this reason, pushing this understudied – but relevant – theory a step forward, examining the extent of its applicability, its limits, and confronting the critics, could be considered a significant added value to the research in International Relations, serving also as a basis for future researchers, given the increasing importance that cyberspace is gaining.

Research interests: Cyberwarfare and cybersecurity, International Relations and Strategic Studies. Often combining them all together.

Graduated from: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan.

Degree: MA in foreign languages for International Relations

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