| Abstract [eng] |
In the broader sense the general object of observation considered in this paper is the influence of transboundary cyber-security issues on government behaviour. The main academic problem this paper deals with is how the relationship between internal external security concerns could be fully conceptualized to assess and explain the latter. The subject of this paper is not being analyzed through single theory or paradigm but from the perspective of middle-ranged approaches. This pragmatic approach helps better to unpack the complexity of cyber-security issues.As substitent theories cannot adequately assess the outcome of the expected changes this paper invokes an analytical framework built by Johan Eriksson and Mark Rhinard which encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems and their implications for changes in four dimensions: perceptions, policies, politics and polity. Analysing what implications new cyber-security issues have in each of these dimensions and explaining how aggregate effect of their interconnections determines Lithuania’s response to transboundary cyber-security challenges are the main tasks of this paper. These interim objectives are as follows: 1) evaluating the changes in Lithuania’s threat perceptions causes by the vulnerabilities of the emerging cyberspace; 2) examining the internal-external security nexus entrenched in Lithuania’s cyber-security policies; 3) looking at how the internal-external security nexus is being used in political interests and conflict domain 4) inquiring into the institutional context of cyber-security regulation and the changes it has or will yet have to face. While some of the causal mechanisms and processes at play may be quite clear or drawn from the authors’ insights, exploring the variety of dynamics unfolding in four dimensions is the empirical question. Answering this question helps to define one of the ‘four ideal’ types that state behaviour may take. These forms of behaviour are 1) inertia; 2) ignorance; 3) exaggeration; 4) coherence. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to evaluate which of the ‘ideal types‘ best defines Lithuania‘s behaviour towards relatively new empirical phenomenon – cyber-security problem. The general hypothesis of this paper states that how government respond to cyber-security problem depends on whether and how the nexus of internal – external security concerns becomes manifestant across the other four dimensions. The empirical observations provided in this paper support considerable proof to the relevance of the main hypothesis. The results suggest that only at the policy dimension can the manifest convergence of national and international cyber-security plans of action be visible, thus suggesting the strong relation between internal-external security domins. While there is still a huge legal and regulational breach. Cyber-security issues have clearly impacted upon Lithuania‘s polity too, however, ministres and newly established institutional structures face grave misscoordination problems, although they tend to collaborate domesticaly and internationally. Finally, there is only scarce tendency towards more observant cyber-security issues perception among Lithuania‘s society and elite. This draws a conclusion that while the cyber-security problem in Lithuania is starting to be percieved and even the addressing policies are starting to be developped, yet they are failed to be turned into effective action. Therefore, Lithuania‘s response can be described as the form of ‘inertia‘. |
