Passive Cyber Defense as a Norm Preservation Tool: Romania’s Behaviour as a Norm Antipreneur in Cybersecurity

Abstract

: The complex challenges of cyberspace have pushed the states of the world to promote cybersecurity approaches addressing these challenges. While some states advocate for the contentious new active cyber defense approach, others continue to rely on the current passive cyber defense strategy. Previous contributions in literature have identified the technical, legal, and political elements impacting state-level decision-making, while omitting normative incentives. Therefore, this study aims to explain why Romania normatively employs passive cyber defense. Empirical evidence shows that Romania acts as a norm antipreneur, promoting a passive cyber defense that cultivates the civil society’s resilience through cybersecurity research, training, and dissemination of information of public interest.