Privatization of Security Revisited: the Expansion of Private Security Companies in the Age of Hybrid Conflict (2013-2025)

We are witnessing the emergence of the “distributed state” : a governance model where sovereign responsibilities are networked rather than hierarchical. This article revisits the trajectory of private security companies (PSCs) over the last decade, identifying a structural transition from neoliberal outsourcing to “distributed sovereignty”. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Singer and McFate, the analysis reveals how the “market for force” has expanded into the cognitive and cyber domains , effectively outsourcing the definition of security itself. The article highlights the specific implications for governance, noting that private security is embedded in resilience plans at EU as well as in Romania at national level, this dependency creates new vulnerabilities regarding accountability and strategic autonomy. Ultimately, the article posits that the regulation of this distributed architecture will define thelegitimacy of the twenty-first-century state.