Work in Progress: Effects of Enforcing International Law on Cyber Conflict Using Wargaming

Background: Cybersecurity wargames are used to explore strategic decision-making, risk management, and behavioural responses in simulated conflict scenarios. They provide a framework for evaluating not only technical vulnerabilities but also human factors and policy implications. Aim: This paper investigates whether a fictitious cybersecurity wargame may be used to assess the potential impact of an international cyber regulatory body on state behaviour during cyber conflict. Methods: To evaluate its effectiveness, we designed an experimental wargame that simulates cyber conflict scenarios involving regulatory oversight. The game includes controls for testing hypotheses about decision-making, user behaviour, and policy responses, aiming to produce generalisable insights. Results: Based on the findings, regulatory frameworks influence state strategies but pose challenges in enforcing norms and ensuring legitimacy in attribution. The wargame highlights tensions between policy design and states' reluctance to accept external authority during conflict. Conclusion: The review of the proposed approach indicates that experimental wargaming is a valid method for examining cyber conflict dynamics and international law enforcement. As part of the future work, we aim to apply this model to real and hypothetical scenarios to further explore group dynamics and geopolitical constraints.