Attribution and Knowledge Creation Assemblages in Cybersecurity Politics

Abstract Attribution is central to cybersecurity politics. It establishes a link between technical occurrences and political consequences by reducing the uncertainty about who behind an intrusion what likely intent was, ultimately creating “truths” with consequences. In critical security studies’ spirit, we purport that “truth” cyber-incidents established through attribution constructed knowledge creation process neither value-free nor purely objective but built on assumptions choices make certain outcomes more or less likely. We conceptualize as in three phases – incident creation, response, public embark identifying creates kind of this process, when they do it, previous based on. Using assemblage theory backdrop, highlight happening complex networks are never stable always shifting, assembled, disassembled reassembled different contexts, multiple functionalities. To illustrate, use intrusions at US Office Personnel Management (OPM) discovered 2014 2015 focus factors: threat actors, entanglement private self-reflection uncertainties. When it comes processes, critique strong existing enemy images potentially crowding out other which turn shapes structure cyberspace. One remedy, so argue, bring additional data collectors from academic sector can provide alternative interpretations independent processes.