11 February 2026
On 11 February 2026, the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice organized a panel event titled “Accountability for Malicious Cyber Operations: The Role of Attribution” at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
The panel event, introduced by our Director, Professor Philippa Webb and chaired by our Head of Accountability in International Law, Harriet Moynihan, featured an expert discussion by Avril Haines, former US Director of National Security, Jen Easterly, former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Shehzad Charania MBE, Director of Legal Affairs and International Relations at GCHQ, and Ciaran Martin, Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations.
The panel offered practical insights into how accountability is pursued in real-world settings, focusing on the attribution of malicious cyber operations across its technical, political and legal dimensions. The discussion also addressed evidentiary challenges, the opportunities presented by public-private partnerships, the role of artificial intelligence, and the broader geopolitical conditions that complicate norm development and dispute settlement in the cyber context.
