CYBERSECURITY AND GLOBAL CONFLICTS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

Cyber security is the central theme of this work, which analyzes its main challenges and opportunities in the contemporary global context. The study starts from the realization that, with the accelerated advance of information and communication technologies, cyberspace has become a strategic domain for states, companies and citizens, requiring increasingly sophisticated institutional responses to the growth of digital threats. The main objective of the research is to critically examine the risks related to cybersecurity and identify the potential that this field offers in the political, economic and social spheres. The methodology used was qualitative, based on a bibliographical and documentary review of leading authors and institutions, such as Singer and Friedman, Nocetti, Nye, Clarke and Knake, the OECD and the World Economic Forum, among others. The work is structured in three chapters. The first presents the evolution of the concept of cyber security and its inclusion on the international agenda, highlighting the growing relevance of the issue in economic development and global governance. The second chapter addresses the main challenges, with an emphasis on the problem of attributing attacks, the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures and the risk of escalating geopolitical tensions. Phenomena such as botnets, hacktivism and the “connectivity paradox”, which makes the most technologically advanced countries the most exposed to threats, are also discussed. In the third chapter, the opportunities of cyber security are analyzed, with emphasis on strengthening the digital economy, creating specialized jobs, international cooperation and stimulating education and digital inclusion. Among the results obtained, it is concluded that cyber security, in addition to being a technical and geopolitical challenge, is also a strategic opportunity for innovation, institutional integration and strengthening digital citizenship. The research shows that a collaborative approach, based on planning, resilience and participatory governance, is essential for transforming the digital environment into a safer, more reliable and inclusive space.