The Digital Century and Its Implications on the International Security Environment. Digital Confrontations in Cyber Space and Real Space

Abstract

"Starting with the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, humanity is experiencing a new societal type, the information society. The emergence of computers, the Internet, digital information, artificial intelligence and digital devices with the ability to automatically process information, work autonomously, or even form networks with other devices, cyber and virtual space and so on have led to a technological explosion and the digitalization of societies. Under these circumstances, the digitalization and virtualization of many human activities and relationships in all societal domains constitutes a postmodern “game changer” of societies. Consequently, digitalization has major repercussions at the level of security and the international security environment. We are witnessing a transition from the nuclear century to the digital century, through the emergence of a new type of human confrontation, the digital confrontation. This new type of confrontation manifests itself both in virtual space, through what we so often hear as cyber war, and in real space, through digitalization of defence and the battlefield. Thus, if the security environment of the 20th century was characterized by globalization under the auspices of the nuclear threat, is it appropriate to consider that the 21st century will be characterized by de-globalization under the auspices of the digital threat?"