Today, I read an article about the emerging topic of social cybersecurity, which is becoming increasingly important in national security. The essay focuses on how technology, particularly social media, has transformed the battlefield. It presents the concept of social cybersecurity, which expands on traditional cybersecurity by concentrating on how technology can be used to affect human behavior and societal effects rather than simply hacking networks.
One of the most noticeable aspects was how state and nonstate actors employ information warfare to disrupt civilizations, undermine national values, and manipulate public opinion, often without engaging in physical confrontation. The concept of “cognitive hacking” is particularly concerning, in which technology is used to alter human behavior on a large scale via targeted psychological operations.
The essay also underlined the importance of understanding and combating these emerging challenges using a multidisciplinary approach that draws on subjects such as political science, sociology, and social psychology. This is an area I had not completely comprehended before, but it is evident that as information warfare evolves, so must our defensive methods. Understanding and resolving social cybersecurity appears to be just as important as traditional protection techniques in today’s society.
Social Cybersecurity An Emerging National Security Requirement. (2019). Retrieved April 3, 2025, from Army University Press website: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/Mar-Apr-2019/117-Cybersecurity/b/