In September, Professor Mike Schmitt engaged three times with members of the armed forces on international security law issues. He first addressed military legal advisers from around the world attending the Legal Aspects of Maritime Security Operations Workshop that was sponsored by the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS). Professor Schmitt spoke on remotely-conducted offensive cyber operations into other countries, focusing on the US cyber strategy of “Defending Forward.”  DIILS is the US government agency responsible for defence cooperation and education programs for foreign military lawyers.

Professor Schmitt next addressed US Naval War College (NWC) students on the international law governing targeting during armed conflict.  NWC is a post-graduate institution that hand-picked senior US and international military officers attend to study national security matters for a year. In 1996, while serving in the United States Air Force, Professor Schmitt graduated first in his class from the institution and before joining the University of Reading he was Chairman of the NWC’s Stockton Center for International Law. Finally, Professor Schmitt returned to the subject of cyber affairs when he served as the closing speaker for NATO officers attending the International Cyber Law Seminar at NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, where he is presently a Senior Fellow. His topic was the future of international cyber law.