What is the role of state and non-state actors in internet security decision-making and governance?

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Internet security's increasing importance in state conflict, state antagonism and war activities, has easily catapulted cybercrime and cyberespionage at the forefront of the security dilemma. The security dilemma, i.e. the necessity of the states to increase their security, leading them to take actions that inevitably decrease the security of other states has manifested tenfold in the cyberspace arena. The significance of cyberspace is approached with equal amounts of trepidation and reverence for the opportunities and threats it presents to the domain of state security. As in traditional international relations theory, the creation of cyber security dilemmas does not lead to more security, but to less security, as state antagonism increases. This increased antagonism is compounded by the novelty cyber security dilemmas introduce in the form of cyberspace's de facto multi-stakeholder governance model system. In contrast to most other fields that pertain to state security dilemmas', the involvement and the cruciality of non-state actors for the conceptualization, development, running and regulation of cyberspace and internet security is the norm rather than the exception. My doctoral research will ultimately argue navigate the tersely complex internet security landscape ultimately arguing that the de-facto involvement of non-state actors brings us to a monumental precipice in the present historical moment in regards to the regulation of internet security governance.To this end, the doctoral project will focus on the following areas of research: a) the role of non-state actors on internet security governance, b) the politicization of decision-making fora, c) the role of the individual as a standard-bearer for his organizations positions, when participating in decision-making fora, d) the role of ideology in internet security governance, and e) state's inability to reach a consensus, when their interests are involved.