Chapter 10: Private authority and the political economy of private companies in cybersecurity crises and conflicts

National crises and conflicts, once conceived of primarily as the responsibility of governments - and, in the case of warfare, a prerogative of sovereign states - are, in practice, rarely detached from private governance, especially in cyberspace. Rather than mere providers of infrastructure or ad hoc risk mitigation solutions, the involvement of private companies in existing conflicts and crises, or following diplomatic éclats, opens up questions about the motivations, interests, legality and power of private actors in geopolitical contestation. This chapter examines the politics of private engagement in conflicts and crises. It draws from the concept of private authority to investigate how the embeddedness of firms in cyber conflict relies on understanding how companies build their own legitimacy. The chapter reflects on the political and economic foundations of private-sector influence in cybersecurity. It presents a typology for private authority in cybersecurity and reflects on a future research agenda for this field.