The Digital Disaggregation: Integrating Cyber Capabilities and the Information Ecosystem into Conventional Measures of Overall National Power

Digital globalisation has changed the determinants and configurations of power within a state. This study focuses on the incorporation of cyber capabilities and the information domain as a component of the power assessment frameworks. The study employed a mixed-methods approach of comparative and statistical analysis to examine the determinants of a nation’s relative power as a function of its cybersecurity readiness and innovation ability, cyber spending, the level of internet penetration, and cyber power within the state’s geopolitical region. The study integrates data from the Global Cybersecurity Index, Global Innovation Index, and the National Cyber Power Index with traditional power metrics, such as GDP and military spending, along with other internationally recognised sources. Regression analysis showed a strong correlation between the assessed variables and the declared national power (R² = 0.78, F(4,45) = 17.23, p < 0.001) with predictive power coming from both the digital and information variables. The study demonstrated that countries with innovative digital systems, vigorous cybersecurity, and global internet connectivity exert considerable geopolitical power and assert global geopolitical resilience. The study proposes the coordination of investments on national digital systems from the cybersecurity and innovation frameworks as part of the national security strategy.