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Open research questions in Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies

169 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,645 Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further research could examine the role of expertise in diplomacy concerning digital and technological domains, - Research could explore the tensions between institutional stability and technological change in the governance of digital technology

    Diplomacy in the age of expertise: the case of cyber diplomacy · 2026 · DOI

  • The study does not claim universal generalizability, - The study is limited to the case of cyber diplomacy

    Diplomacy in the age of expertise: the case of cyber diplomacy · 2026 · DOI

  • Yet, the policy instruments used to address these challenges remain insufficiently examined.

    Governing Cybersecurity in the Digital Age: Mapping Comprehensive Policy Mixes With the Nodality‐Authority‐Treasure‐Organization Lens · 2026 · DOI

  • The article offers several hypotheses for further research into narrative coherence as both a dependent and independent variable.

    Muddle and Match: Narrative Coherence in United States Cybersecurity Policy · 2026 · DOI

  • It shows that the practice of issuing such documents has gradually consolidated into a recognizable standardized format, although participation remains geographically uneven, and their precise legal nature and effects are still insufficiently understood.

    The Role of National Positions on International Law and Cyber Activities in Shaping the Development of International Law · 2026 · DOI

  • Attempts to democratize the platform economy both in the EU and India have achieved mixed results.

    Data Governance in the EU and in India: Some Observations · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach in managing cyber risks. The lack of a culture of prevention and continuous training of public agents.

    From risk to resilience: addressing cybersecurity threats in Brazil’s government digital transformation · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper relies on empirical data from Cyber Risk Assessments conducted between 2023-2025 specifically in São Paulo State Government, limiting the generalizability of findings to other Brazilian states or government contexts.

    From risk to resilience: addressing cybersecurity threats in Brazil’s government digital transformation · 2026 · DOI

  • Further analysis of the application of international humanitarian law to AI and cyber warfare. Examination of the implications of AI and cyber warfare on international law. Development of effective regulations for AI and cyber warfare under international law.

    COMPATIBILITY OF AI & CYBER WARFARE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of effective regulation of AI and cyber warfare under international law. The complexity of applying international humanitarian law to AI and cyber warfare. The need for a nuanced understanding of international law in the context of AI and cyber warfare.

    COMPATIBILITY OF AI & CYBER WARFARE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW · 2026 · DOI

  • A unified and universally recognized governance system for cross-border data flows has not been formed. There are significant value differences among China, the US, and the EU in terms of cross-border data flow governance.

    A Comparative Study on Rules for Protecting Personal Privacy in Cross-Border Data Flow-Taking China, the United States, and Europe as Examples · 2026 · DOI

  • The research is limited to the comparison of macro rules, and does not involve issues such as corporate compliance, technical paths, and emerging scenarios, which can be further expanded in future research to promote the construction of a new global data governance order that takes into account sovereign security, personal rights, and digital development.

    A Comparative Study on Rules for Protecting Personal Privacy in Cross-Border Data Flow-Taking China, the United States, and Europe as Examples · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in existing research on data sovereignty and international legal frameworks. It highlights the need for new international legal principles to balance state sovereignty with global connectivity. The paper argues that existing frameworks are inadequate for addressing the challenges of data sovereignty.

    Data Sovereignty And International Legal Frameworks: Challenges Ahead · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of cyber disputes, which require technical expertise. The jurisdictional challenges posed by cyber disputes, which often involve parties located in different jurisdictions. The need for a comprehensive statute for cyber Alternative Dispute Resolution.

    Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cyber Crime in India · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a comprehensive statute for cyber Alternative Dispute Resolution. The need for a hybrid model, combining the strengths of ADR and judicial oversight.

    Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cyber Crime in India · 2026 · DOI

  • To further examine the regulation of decentralised autonomous organisations and central bank digital currencies, - to explore the implications of digital infrastructure functioning as a new territory of sovereign power, - to investigate the potential for decentralised governance in digital systems

    Digital Sovereignty and the Paradox of Post-Territorial Control · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between the decentralisation norm and the centralisation reality of infrastructure control, - the gap between the universally proclaimed norm of sovereign equality and the systematic practice of its violation

    Digital Sovereignty and the Paradox of Post-Territorial Control · 2026 · DOI

  • Technological dependency exposes states to asymmetrical vulnerabilities. The contemporary technological order remains deeply unequal. Digital infrastructures shape the conditions under which sovereignty itself is exercised.

    Digital Sovereignty Index [v. 1.0]: An expert-coded country ranking of Digital Sovereignty · 2026 · DOI

  • In-depth country case studies will be conducted. Smaller comparative studies will be undertaken. The Digital Sovereignty Index will be iteratively updated.

    Digital Sovereignty Index [v. 1.0]: An expert-coded country ranking of Digital Sovereignty · 2026 · DOI

  • CISI as a metric focuses on structural control and does not directly measure a state's intent or capability to exploit that control for security gains or coercive ends. The index does not distinguish which foreign actors are involved, dependence on a close ally's technology is treated the same as dependence on a geopolitical rival's. The study assumes that any external dependency introduces some sovereignty gap, albeit the risk magnitude may vary.

    Digital soil sovereignty: a comparative analysis of state cyber postures using the CISI framework · 2026 · DOI

  • Existing comparative measures of cyber capability and resilience focus on what states can do in cyberspace or how exposed they are, rather than who controls the technological substrates of their critical systems. The study addresses this gap by adopting the Critical-Infrastructure Sovereignty Index (CISI) and the NCF/PCF/BCF cyberfarming typology.

    Digital soil sovereignty: a comparative analysis of state cyber postures using the CISI framework · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of the boundary between a protected space and an attacker's separate space in networked systems. The need to balance the urgency of acting while harm is in progress with the risk of unauthorized retaliation. The challenge of defining cyber self-defense during active intrusion without authorizing hack-back or extra-perimeter retaliation.

    Cyber Self‑Defense Under Active Intrusion: A Lawful, Ethical, and Operational Framework for Defensive Deception, Containment, Attribution, and Recovery · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between the need for active defense and the risk of unauthorized retaliation. The need for a lawful and ethically grounded framework for responding to active intrusion.

    Cyber Self‑Defense Under Active Intrusion: A Lawful, Ethical, and Operational Framework for Defensive Deception, Containment, Attribution, and Recovery · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for better data on cyber incidents. The lack of understanding of the financial impact of cyber incidents or the return on investment for protective measures.

    Cyber Security as a Necessity for Global Economic · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on the intersection of different types of structural digital power. The paper argues that the existing frameworks do not fully capture the complexities of the global digital order.

    Incompatible Sovereignties: Chokepoint Conflict and the Structure of Digital Governance · 2026 · DOI

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169 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,645 Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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