Research

My latest publication is my doctoral thesis, defended on November 3, 2014, at Delft University of Technology. From the perspective of an operationalised model of open source and peer production, the study describes responses to large-scale Internet attacks, analyses the, well, peer-produced-ness or open-sourciness of these responses, and discusses reasons for the presence and absence of characteristics of open source and peer production in technical Internet security communities. The study was supervised by Milton Mueller. Members of the examination committee included Ron Deibert, Kai Rannenberg, Nico van Eijk, Eric Huizer, Jan van den Berg, Michel van Eeten, and, as substitute, Marijn Janssen.

  • Schmidt, A. (2014). Secrecy versus openness: Internet security and the limits of open source and peer production. Doctoral thesis, Delft University of Technology. doi:10.4233/uuid:ecf237ed-7131-4455-917f-11e55e03df0d (online version)

The printed version is distributed by the Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management at TU Delft and by me, and available upon request.

I’ve published a few papers in the course of my research project on Internet security and the governance thereof:

  • Schmidt, Andreas (2014). Hierarchies in networks. Emerging hybrids of networks and hierarchies for producing Internet security. In Jan-Frederik Kremer & Benedikt Müller (Eds.), Cyber space and international relations: Theory, prospects and challenges (pp. 181-202). Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37481-4_11. (Book homepage; draft pdf)
  • Schmidt, Andreas (2013). Open security. Contributions of networked approaches to the challenge of democratic Internet security governance. In Roxana Radu, Jean-Marie Chenou & Rolf Weber (Eds.), The evolution of global Internet governance — principles and policies in the making (pp. 169-187). Zürich: Schulthess. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-45299-4_10. (Draft pdf)
  • Mueller, Milton, Schmidt, Andreas, and Kuerbis, Brenden (2013). Internet Security and Networked Governance in International Relations. International Studies Review Vol. 15, No. 1. doi:10.1111/misr.12024 (Wiley online version)
  • Schmidt, Andreas. The Estonian Cyberattacks (2013). In Jason Healey (ed), The Fierce Domain – Conflicts in Cyberspace 1986-2012, with a foreword by the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves (pp. 174-193). Washington, D.C.: Atlantic Council. (Book homepage; draft pdf)
  • Schmidt, Andreas (2012). At the boundaries of peer production: The organization of Internet security production in the cases of Estonia 2007 and Conficker. Telecommunications Policy, 36(6), 451-461. doi:10.1016/j.telpol.2012.02.00. (Sciencedirect online version; draft pdf)
  • Mueller, Milton, Ku, Min-Chun, & Schmidt, Andreas (2009). Transnational regimes and the response to cybercrime: The case of phishing. Paper presented at the annual convention of the International Studies Association, New York, 14-18 Feb 2009.
  • Schmidt, Andreas (2009). Conceptualizing Internet security governance. Paper prepared for the Giganet conference, Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, November 2009. (pdf)

Many of the intelligence-related revelations since the summer of 2013 have been anticipated in my 2004 master thesis. While I would naturally write things very differently today, it still has quite interesting passages on US foreign policy strategy, geopolitics, and the role of the Internet therein. Only available in German, though:

  • Schmidt, Andreas (2004). Hegemonie durch Technologie — Strategien zur Instrumentalisierung von Informationstechnologien in globaler Politik – Überlegungen amerikanischer Think Tanks. (pdf)

My research-related, yet not über-scientific activities, including presentations, talks, and interviews:

  • Talk at the re:publica 2014 conference in Berlin, titled “Mit Sicherheit scheitern – The end of One-Internet” (it’s in English). A video is available on Youtube and at the conference website. Am Rande der Veranstaltung, genauer: auf dem Sofa  Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (netzdebatte.bpb.de), haben Felix Schwenzel und ich mit der Moderatorin Teresa Sickert über “Überwachung und die Offenheit des Netzes” des Netzes diskutiert. Detlef Borchers hat unser beider Vorträge in einem kleinen Artikel auf heise.de besprochen.
  • Guest at scientific talk show “alpha-Forum Wissenschaft” in an episode titled “Angezapft und abgehängt – Braucht Europa sein eigenes Netz?” on the NSA surveillance revelation and those proposed ideas of a European data network, January 29, 2014. The show is hosted by the Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Bavarian branch of the German public broadcasting consortium ARD. (Videos in ARD Mediathek or BR Mediathek)
  • Panellist in the workshop on “Building an open, safe & secure cyberspace“ at the Digital Agenda Assembly hosted by the European Commission and the Irish EU Presidency in Dublin, June 19, 2013. See my blog text.
  • Talk on “European cybersecurity strategy: What’s the future role of Internet security communities?“ at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institution in Florence, Italy, June 3, 2013.
  • Presentation of my paper „The Internet security community and the future of social/networked production of Internet security“ at the International workshop “The global governance of the Internet: Intergovernmentalism, multistakeholderism and networks”, May 17-18, 2013, Geneva. See that “Open Security” paper above.
  • Panellist on an open forum on Cyberwar, hosted by the Elsa student association of the Faculty of Law at University of Göttingen, May 14, 2013. Short presentation on the political causes and effects of the cyberattacks on Estonian ICT infrastructure in 2007.
  • Invited discussant in a meeting on Internet security and the EU’s cybersecurity regulation with a few MEPs and their advisors or faction staff, European Parliament, Brussels, Oct 19, 2012.
  • Invited participant of the meeting on “Cybersecurity Strategy: a Societal Perspective” hosted by the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission, Oct 19, 2012.
  • Interview on Cyberwar, detector.fm (radio), Feb 3, 2012.
  • Panel organizer and chair of a session on Internet security governance at the 14th International Annual Conference on Economics of Infrastructures on “Entrepreneurship and Regulation in Infrastructures”, Delft University, Faculty of Policy, Technology and Management, May 26-27, 2011. Panelists included Alex Band (RIPE-NCC), Gert Wabeke (KPN Security), Tobias Knecht (abusix).
  • Discussant in a meeting on internet security on invitation by Members of the European parliament with several policy advisors of Rapporteurs/ Shadow Rapporteurs of ENISA regulation and Cybercrime directive, European Parliament, Brussels, March 29, 2011.
  • Interview on Cyberwar, “Erkältung ist nicht die schwarze Pest”, Feb. 10, 2011, http://www.taz.de/!65664/.
  • Interview on Cyberwar, Radio Berlin-Brandenburg, Feb 4, 2011, 12:40-12:45.
  • Schmidt, A. (2011). Das Internet ist ein vermachteter Raum. Leitbilder, Infrastruktur und die Institutionen einer politischen Technologie. AK – Analyse und Kritik, 558, 29.
  • Presentation, “Offene Sicherheit – Internetsicherheit und neue Produktionsformen” [open security – internet security and new forms of production], re:publica conference, Berlin, April 15, 2011.
  • Panellist, “Was ist dran am Cyberwar?” hosted by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Berlin, May 16, 2011.
  • Interview on Anonymous, Stuxnet, and cyberwar, “Es waren Bleikugeln, keine digitalen Nullen und Einsen”, Aug 28, 2011, http://derstandard.at/1313025361153/Interview-Es-waren-Bleikugeln-keine-digitalen-Nullen-und-Einsen.
  • Presentation, “International networks or transnational communities? Modes of security provisioning in large-scale Internet security incidents”, Presentation on 1st Interdisciplinary Workshop “Decentralization and Networks“ Conference, Nov 24-25, 2011, Siegen, Germany.
  • Invited participant of the ESF Strategic Workshop on “Europe and the Global Information Society Revisited: Developing a Network of Scholars and Agenda for Social Science Research on Cyber Security”, April 19/20, Central European University, Budapest.
  • Presentation on “Staatlichkeit und Internet: Google, China, Wikileaks und die Folgen”, with co-presenters Ralf Bendrath and Stefanie Sifft, re:publica conference, Berlin, April 14, 2010. German daily taz and IT news site heise had articles about it, Julia Seeliger, “Netzsperren gegen Google”, https://www.taz.de/!51088/, Stefan Krempl, “re:publica: Globale Regeln fürs Netz umstritten”, http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/re-publica-Globale-Regeln-fuers-Netz-umstritten-977817.html, all April 14, 2010.
  • Presentation on “The governance of internet security”, TF-CSIRT conference, Vienna, Sept 25, 2009.
  • Poster on “Networked governance and Internet security Re-examining the role of states in global Internet governance”, Summer school at Delft University of Technology, October 2009.