The article, “Social Cybersecurity: An Emerging National Security Requirement” explores the vital role that social cybersecurity plays in the current environment, where information warfare aims to undermine social cohesiveness and trust. Social cybersecurity seeks to protect society against “cognitive hacking,” in contrast to traditional cybersecurity, which is concerned with safeguarding information systems. In order to erode social ties and undermine national security, this type of assault manipulates social networks and sways public opinion. According to Beskow and Carley, cyber dangers are no longer just direct technological attacks; they now take use of social and psychological weaknesses to splinter societies from within by influencing attitudes and ideas.

It makes the case for a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates social sciences with computer technologies, such network analysis and machine learning, to better anticipate and counteract these escalating risks. Enhanced awareness, policy, and interagency cooperation would enable defense departments to counter the “information blitzkrieg” through this integration. The authors stress that preserving national security depends on comprehending and resolving these societal-level dangers, particularly as digital manipulation keeps changing the battlefield in both traditional and novel ways.