Dr. Max Smeets

Max Smeets ist Senior Researcher am Center for Security Studies (CSS) der ETH Zürich und Co-Direktor von Virtual Routes. Er ist der Autor von ‘Ransom War: How Cyber Crime became a Threat to National Security (Oxford University Press & Hurst Publishers, 2025) und 'No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber- Force’ (Oxford University Press & Hurst Publishers, 2022). Er ist ebenfalls Co-Editor von ‘Deter, Disrupt or Deceive? Assessing Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest’ (Georgetown University Press, 2023) und 'Cyberspace and Instability' (Edinburgh University Press, 2023).

Max ist Mitarbeiter am externe Seite Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) der Stanford University und Associate Fellow am externe Seite Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Zusätzlich ist er Co-Gründer und Managing Editor von externe Seite Binding Hook, ein neues Medienunternehmen für Technologie und Sicherheit, das zu Virtual Routes gehört.

Zuvor war er Postdoktorand und Dozent am CISAC der Universität Stanford und College Lecturer am Keble College der Universität Oxford. Ausserdem war er als Forscher und Stipendiat bei New America, dem SIPA der Columbia University, dem Sciences Po CERI und dem NATO CCD COE tätig. Vor seiner akademischen Laufbahn arbeitete er im Finanzwesen in London und Amsterdam.

Max erhielt einen BA in Wirtschaft, Politik und Statistik summa cum laude vom University College Roosevelt, Universität Utrecht, und einen M.Phil (Brasenose College) und DPhil (St. John's College) in Internationalen Beziehungen von der Universität Oxford.

Books

Max Smeets, Ransom War: How Cyber Crime became a Threat to National Security”, Oxford University Press, 2025, externe Seite Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security : Smeets, Max: Amazon.de: Books  

Chesney, Robert; Shires, James; Smeets, Max (eds.) (2023) 'Cyberspace and Instability', Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Chesney, Robert; Smeets, Max (eds.) (2023) 'Deter, Disrupt or Deceive? Assessing Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest', Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.

externe Seite externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) 'No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber-Force', London: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd., Oxford University Press

Journal Articles

externe Seite Makridis, Christos; Maschmeyer, Lennart; Smeets, Max (2024) 'If it bleeps it leads? Media coverage on cyber conflict and misperception', Journal of Peace Research, 61, 1: 72-86.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2023) 'The challenges of military adaptation to the cyber domain: a case study of the Netherlands', Small Wars & Insurgencies, 34, 7: 1343-1362.

externe Seite Dunn Cavelty, Myriam; Smeets, Max (2023) 'Regulatory cybersecurity governance in the making: the formation of ENISA and its struggle for epistemic authority', Journal of European Public Policy.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘A US history of not conducting cyber attacks’, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 78, 4: 208-213.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) 'Cyber Arms Transfer: Meaning, Limits, and Implications', Security Studies, 31, 1: 65-91.

externe Seite Egloff, Florian; Smeets, Max (2021) 'Publicly Attributing Cyber Attacks: A Framework', Journal of Strategic Studies.

externe Seite Chesney, Robert; Smeets, Max (2020) 'The Dynamics of Cyber Conflict and Competition', Texas National Security Review 3, 4: 4-7.

externe Seite Rovner, Joshua; Warner, Michael; Lindsay, Jon R.; Fischerkeller, Michael P.; Harknett, Richard J.; Kollars, Nina; Chesney, Robert; Smeets, Max (2020) 'Policy Roundtable: Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest', Texas National Security Review, Special Issue: Cyber Competition.

externe Seite Harknett, Richard J.; Smeets, Max (2020) 'Cyber Campaigns and Strategic Outcomes', Journal of Strategic Studies.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2020) 'U.S. Cyber Strategy of Persistent Engagement & Defend Forward: Implications for the Alliance and Intelligence Collection', Intelligence and National Security.

externe Seite Herr, Trey; Laudrain, Arthur; Smeets, Max (2020) 'Mapping the Known Unknowns of Cybersecurity Education: A Review of Syllabi in Cyber Conflict and Security', Journal of Political Science Education 17, SUP1: 503-519.

externe Seite Smeets, Max; Works, JD (2020) 'Operational Decision-​Making for Cyber Operations: In Search of a Model', The Cyber Defense Review 5, 1: 95-​112.

externe Seite Makridis, Christos; Smeets, Max (2019) 'Determinants of Cyber Readiness', Journal of Cyber Policy 4, 1: 72-​89.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2018) 'The Strategic Value of Offensive Cyber Operations', Strategic Studies Quarterly 12, 3: 90-​113.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2018) 'Integrating Offensive Cyber Capabilities: Meaning, Dilemmas, and Assessment', Defence Studies 18, 4: 395-​410.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2018) 'A Matter of Time: On the Transitory Nature of Cyber Weapons', Journal of Strategic Studies 41, 1-2: 6-​32. *Awarded the 2018 Amos Perlmutter Prize

externe Seite Scott-​Smith, Giles; Smeets, Max (2013) 'Noblesse Oblige: The Transatlantic Security Dynamic and Dutch Involvement in the Joint Strike Fighter Program', International Journal 68, 1: 49-​69.

Book Chapters

Brantly, Aaron; Smeets, Max, (2020), Military Operations in Cyberspace, Handbook of Military Sciences, Springer, externe Seite Handbook of Military Sciences | SpringerLink

Bunk, Joost; Smeets, Max, (2021), Dutch Cyber Security Strategy, Routledge Companion to Global Cyber-Security Strategy, Routledge, externe Seite Routledge Companion to Global Cyber-Security Strategy - 1st Edition –

externe Seite Lin, Herbert; Smeets, Max (2019) 'A Strategic Assessment of the U.S. Cyber Command Vision', in: Lin, Herbert; Zegart, Amy (eds.) Bytes, Bombs, and Spies: The Strategic Dimensions of Offensive Cyber Operations, Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 81-​104.

Book Reviews

externe Seite Egloff, Florian; Smeets, Max (2020) 'Review: Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers: By Andy Greenberg', New York: Doubleday.

Op-eds

externe Seite Makridis, Christos, Maschmeyer, Lennart; Smeets, Max (2024) 'Understanding patterns of cyber conflict coverage in media', Binding Hook.

externe Seite Smeets, Max, (2023) ‘The magic of sophisticated cyber attacks,’ Binding Hook.

externe Seite Shires, James; Smeets, Max, (2023) 'Introducing Binding Hook', Binding Hook.

externe Seite Grossman, Taylor; Kaminska, Monica; Shires, James; Smeets, Max (2023) 'The Cyber Dimensions of the Russia-Ukraine War', European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative, 1-36.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) 'Why NATO Countries Don’t Share Cyber Weapons', The National Interest.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘AI Will Be a Double-Edged Sword in Future Cyber Conflicts', The National Interest.

externe Seite Smeets, Max; Achberger, Brita (2022) ‘Cyber hacktivists are busy undermining Putin’s invasion', The Washington Post: The Monkey Cage.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘Hack Global, Buy Local: The Inefficiencies of the Zero-Day Exploit Market’, Lawfare.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘The Risks of Managing a Purchased Cyber Arsenal’, Council on Foreign Relations: Net Politics.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘We Buy and Sell: The Public Advertisement of Zero-Day Exploits’, The Alert.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) 'Building a Cyber Force Is Even Harder Than You Thought', War on the Rocks.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) 'Going the Extra Mile: What It Takes to Be a Responsible Cyber Power', Lawfare.

externe Seite Achberger, Brita; Smeets, Max (2022) 'The Opportunities and Challenges of Military Cyber Exercises', Council on Foreign Relations: Net Politics.

externe Seite Chesney, Robert; Smeets, Max (2020) 'Intervention: Exploring Cyber Conflict and Competition', War on the Rocks.

externe Seite Smeets, Max; Soesanto, Stefan (2020) 'Cyber Deterrence Is Dead: Long Live Cyber Deterrence!', Council on Foreign Relations: Net Politics.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2019) 'Cyber Command’s Strategy Risks Friction With Allies', Lawfare.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2019) 'There are too many Red Lines in Cyberspace', Lawfare.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2019) 'NATO Allies Need to Come to Terms With Offensive Cyber Operations', Lawfare.

externe Seite Lin, Herb; Smeets, Max (2018) 'What Is Absent From the U.S. Cyber Command 'Vision'', Lawfare.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2018) 'The Netherlands Just Revealed its Cybercapacity. So What Does That Mean?', Washington Post.

externe Seite Smeets, Max; Moore, Daniel (2018) 'Why We Are Unconvinced NATO’s Cyber Policy Is More Aggressive, and That’s a Good Thing', Council on Foreign Relations.

externe Seite Smeets, Max; Grigsby, Alex (2018) 'What Did the 2018 NATO Summit Accomplish With Respect to Cyber Issues?', Council on Foreign Relations.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2017) 'When Routine Isn’t Enough: Why Military Cyber Commands Need Creativity at the Human Level', War on the Rocks.

externe Seite Shires, James; Smeets, Max (2017) 'The Word Cyber Now Means Everything – and Nothing at All', Slate.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2017) 'Europe Slowly Starts to Talk More Openly about Offensive Cyber Operations', Council on Foreign Relations: Net Politics.

Reports and Conference Articles

externe Seite Grossman, Taylor; Kaminska, Monica; Shires, James; Smeets, Max (2023) 'The Cyber Dimensions of the Russia-Ukraine War', European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative Report, April 2023, 1-36.

externe Seite Shires, James; Kaminska, Monica; Smeets, Max, (2022) ‘Cyber Operations during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine: Lessons Learned (so far)’, European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative Report, July 6, 1-12.

externe Seite Gilli, Andrea; Gilli, Mauro; Grgić, Gorana; Henke, Marina; Lanoszka, Alexander; Meijer, Hugo; Scaglioli, Lucrezia; Silove, Nina; Simón, Luis; Smeets, Max (2022) ‘Strategic Shifts and NATO’s new Strategic Concept', NATO Defence College Research Paper 24.

Smeets, Max (2022) ‘What it Takes to Develop a Military Cyber-Force', CSS Policy Perspectives 10, 7.

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2022) ‘The Role of Military Cyber Exercises: A Case Study of Locked Shields’, Tallinn: CyCon, NATO CCD COE Publications.  

externe Seite Smeets, Max (2019) '‘NATO Members’ Organizational Path Towards Conducting Offensive Cyber Operations: A Framework for Analysis', Tallinn: CyCon, NATO CCD COE Publications.

externe Seite Gorwa, Robert; Smeets, Max (2019) 'Cyber Conflict in Political Science: A Review of Methods and Literature', Toronto: ISA Annual Convention.

externe Seite Lin, Herbert; Smeets, Max (2018) 'Offensive Cyber Capabilities: To What Ends?', in: Minárik, Tomáš; Jakschis, Raik; Lindström, Lauri (eds.) 10th International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon), Tallinn: NATO CCD COE Publications.

externe Seite Herr, Trey; Morgus, Robert; Smeets, Max (2017) 'Countering the Proliferation of Offensive Cyber Capabilities', in: The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (ed.) GCSC Issue Brief 1: Briefings and Memos from the Research Advisory Group, The Hague: Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, 161-187.

externe Seite Healey, Jason; Smeets, Max (2017) 'The Continuities and Discontinuities of Cyber History', in: Canfil,Justin Key; Healey,Jason (eds.) State of the Field Report on Cyber Conflict 2017, Vienna, Virginia: Cyber Conflict Studies Association, 1-10.