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Table of Contents
Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations
Draft – editorial review pending. As of 27 September 2026.
| Type | Soft law (non-binding scholarly work by an international group of experts) |
|---|---|
| Adopted by | International Group of Experts, convened at the invitation of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE); general editor Michael N. Schmitt |
| Adopted | 2017 (Tallinn Manual 2.0, Cambridge University Press); first edition 2013 |
| Legal status | Non-binding; does not represent the views of NATO, the CCDCOE or any State |
| Official text | CCDCOE – The Tallinn Manual (publication by Cambridge University Press; not freely reproduced) |
| Subject area | Use of force, intervention and cyber operations; Armed conflict (international humanitarian law) |
Overview
The Tallinn Manual is a scholarly restatement, in the form of rules with commentary, of how its authors consider existing international law to apply to cyber operations. The first edition (2013) addressed cyber operations at the level of the use of force and in armed conflict. Tallinn Manual 2.0 (2017) extended the analysis to cyber operations below those thresholds, covering topics such as sovereignty, due diligence, jurisdiction, State responsibility, human rights, and specialised regimes. The Manual is frequently cited in State positions, academic literature and debates within UN processes on ICTs; some States have expressed agreement or disagreement with particular rules in their national positions. Its content is described here and not reproduced.
Application to cyber and information operations
National position papers, including the German 2021 paper (see germany), address questions discussed in the Manual, such as whether sovereignty is a rule of international law capable of being violated by cyber operations. States differ on some of these questions; the Manual itself records where members of the International Group of Experts disagreed.
Recent developments
- 2021: The CCDCOE launched the Tallinn Manual 3.0 project, envisaged as a five-year process to revise all chapters of Tallinn Manual 2.0 and add new topics, directed by Michael N. Schmitt with co-general editors Liis Vihul and Marko Milanović, and including engagement with States (CCDCOE). Publication status as of the date above: not published according to the sources consulted [to be verified].
Related entries
Sources
- CCDCOE: The Tallinn Manual, accessed 2026-09-27
- CCDCOE: CCDCOE to host the Tallinn Manual 3.0 process, accessed 2026-09-27
- CCDCOE: The CCDCOE invites experts to contribute to the Tallinn Manual 3.0, accessed 2026-09-27
Change log
- 2026-09-27: Entry created (draft).