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Where Computer Security Meets National Security1

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Abstract

This paper identifies two conceptions of security in contemporary concerns over the vulnerability of computers and networks to hostile attack. One is derived from individual-focused conceptions of computer security developed in computer science and engineering. The other is informed by the concerns of national security agencies of government as well as those of corporate intellectual property owners. A comparative evaluation of these two conceptions utilizes the theoretical construct of “securitization,”developed by the Copenhagen School of International Relations.

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Correspondence to Helen Nissenbaum.

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This article has been on the drawing boards for longer than I dare to admit. Along the way, many have helped its development by generously sharing their wisdom: James Der Derian, Niva Elkin-Koren, Ed Felten, Batya Friedman, Lene Hansen, audiences at CEPE, TPRC, the Yale Cybercrime and Digital Law Enforcement Conference, and Watson Institute’s Symposium in Dis/Simulations of War and Peace,” and University of Newcastle, Computer Science Department. Thanks, also, to Sam Howard-Spink for excellent editorial assistance.

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Nissenbaum, H. Where Computer Security Meets National Security1. Ethics Inf Technol 7, 61–73 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-005-4582-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-005-4582-3

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