Cybersecurity and the Transformation of the Nation-State: A Structural-Analytical Approach to Digital Sovereignty

Abstract

This article examines cybersecurity as a structural variable reshaping the nature of the modern nation-state. Moving beyond traditional security paradigms, it argues that cybersecurity is not merely a defensive technical apparatus but a constitutive element in redefining sovereignty, legitimacy, and state power in the digital age. Drawing upon neorealism, securitization theory, and constructivism, the study proposes a conceptual model termed the “Digital Sovereignty Transformation Model” (DSTM). The findings suggest that cybersecurity functions as a mechanism of sovereign reproduction, though its expansion generates tensions between security imperatives and liberal democratic norms.