Cyber Power in a Digital World: The Evolution of Mentality and Perceptions

This book explores cyber power in geopolitics through a constructivist perspective. How do states’ perceptions of cybersecurity shape the form of their power projection? Does that confer a new form of power relations, therefore, cyber power as a phenomenon? Cyberpower is a concept that has gained relevance with geopolitical dynamics reaching cyberspace and the increasing intertwining between the physical and digital. In this regard, this concept has been treated through three theoretical lenses: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Still, constructivist approaches to the concept are sparse and deserve some attention. Cyber Power in a Digital World is premised on a constructivist perspective, exploring the research problem: How do states’ perceptions of cybersecurity shape the form of their power projection? Does that confer a new form of power relations, therefore, cyberpower as a phenomenon? To tackle these questions, the authors utilize a case study approach of three conventional European geopolitical powers—the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—and examine the intersectionality of cyberpower in industrial societies versus less industrial ones. Offering a detailed examination of the intersection between cybersecurity and state power, Cyber Power in a Digital World delivers valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners interested in the future of international relations and the role of cyberpower in shaping the global order.