Hybrid Threats and Economic Coercion: Contemporary Challenges to Economic Security in the Digital Environment

The contemporary global security landscape is characterised by unprecedented interconnectedness and rapid technological advancement, resulting in a fundamental transformation of economic security challenges. This article analyses hybrid threats and economic coercion, which are intensified by the digital environment and are reshaping traditional notions of security. Hybrid threats combine military and non-military tactics such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic pressure. The author highlights the role of digital tools in facilitating threats to economic security and provides concrete examples of the implementation of hybrid threats and economic pressure by both state and non-state actors, demonstrating the complexity and multifaceted nature of these challenges. The aim is to shed light on the emerging spectrum of combined threats to economic security amid globalisation and digitalisation. The methodological foundation of the research comprises both general scientific and specialised methods of inquiry. Special emphasis is placed on a comprehensive approach to developing countermeasures against economic security threats. This includes strengthening national resilience, deepening international cooperation, and enhancing digital literacy among the population. The author concludes that the digital environment has fundamentally reshaped the challenges to economic security by creating new forms of hybrid threats and economic coercion. This has blurred the boundaries between war and peace, and between state and non-state actors, while exploiting global interconnectedness. The pervasive nature of cyberattacks, the weaponisation of finance, digital disinformation, and economic espionage are key manifestations of this transformation. To effectively counter these challenges and reinforce economic security in the face of hybrid threats, a multilateral and coordinated approach is essential. The author proposes: Integrate economic security, cybersecurity, and information defence into a single, coherent national strategy. Revise legislation to address emerging forms of digital economic coercion and cyber warfare, eliminating “grey zones” within the system responsible for ensuring economic security. Prioritise the protection and diversification of critical infrastructure and supply chains against digital threats. Invest in technologies and specialist expertise for the identification, analysis, and attribution of hybrid attacks. Establish robust mechanisms for information exchange and coordinated responses to hybrid threats and economic pressure between the government and the private sector.