What National Security Looks Like in the Digital Age

Technology has forever changed the focus of national security. While maintaining borders and preparing to meet physical threats remain critical, so does securing computer networks, supply chains, transportation networks and systems for energy, healthcare and finance. 

Doing so requires people with highly specialized cybersecurity skills. Organizations place a high value on professionals with expertise in the latest innovations, especially in the use of artificial intelligence, both in cyberattacks and in defending against them.

Why Cybersecurity Is Now a National Security Issue

Cybersecurity is part of national security because most essential services depend on digital systems. Power grids, hospitals, emergency response systems, ports, airports, banks, public agencies and manufacturers all rely on connected technology. 

That connection creates efficiency. It also creates risk.

Cyber threats now include hijacked networks, cryptocurrency heists and corporate espionage, according to the FBI’s 2025 IC3 report. It also warns of threats on two main fronts: adversaries targeting the United States and its critical infrastructure, and cybercriminals who exploit vulnerabilities to steal money and hold data for ransom.

In practice, that means a national security cybersecurity threat does not look like a traditional attack. It may look like:

• Ransomware that locks hospital systems.
• A phishing campaign against a public agency.
• A cyber intrusion into a water utility.
• A supply chain compromise affecting software or equipment.
• A data breach that exposes sensitive government, business or personal information.

These incidents can create financial losses. They can also disrupt services, undermine trust and slow the systems people depend on.

What Is Critical Infrastructure Protection?

Critical infrastructure protection is the work of securing the systems, networks and services that are essential to daily life, public safety, economic stability and national security. 

Within the United States, critical infrastructure encompasses 16 distinct sectors. The 2025 IC3 report, citing the framework established by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), notes that these systems and assets are so vital that any disruption or destruction would pose a significant threat to national and economic security, public health, or safety.

The sectors include energy, health care, transportation, financial services, communications, government facilities, water systems, food and agriculture, information technology and critical manufacturing.

What Makes Critical Infrastructure Hard to Protect?

Critical infrastructure is hard to protect because it is large, interconnected and often shared across public and private organizations. A single sector may include federal agencies, state and local governments, private companies, contractors, vendors and technology providers.

For example, a transportation network may depend on fuel suppliers, software systems, communications networks, maintenance vendors, weather data and public safety coordination.

This interconnected nature of critical infrastructure means one problem can spread. A cyberattack on a vendor can affect a larger organization. A disruption at a port can affect retailers, manufacturers and consumers. A ransomware attack against a hospital can delay care and strain emergency systems.

Critical infrastructure protection also requires balancing security with continuity. These systems cannot simply shut down for long periods. They must stay available, reliable and safe while security teams respond to threats.

How Cyber Threats, Supply Chains and Disruption Risks Connect

Modern national security risks rarely stay in one lane. Cybersecurity, supply chain resilience and emergency preparedness often overlap.

A cyberattack can become a supply chain issue if it stops a manufacturer from producing essential goods. A supply chain weakness can become a cybersecurity issue if a compromised vendor introduces risk into a larger network. A disruption can become a public safety issue if it affects hospitals, energy systems, transportation routes or emergency communications.

The Department of Homeland Security created a Supply Chain Resilience Center to help evaluate and address risks in critical supply chains, including those related to U.S. port infrastructure and adversarial nation-state threats. DHS also describes cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policy as work focused on identifying, assessing and mitigating risks to critical infrastructure while strengthening resilience against evolving threats.

That is the larger national security picture. The goal is not only to prevent every incident. It is also to ensure essential systems can withstand disruption, recover quickly and keep serving the public.

Frequently Asked Questions About National Security in the Digital Age

What is critical infrastructure protection?

• Critical infrastructure protection involves securing essential systems and services, including energy, transportation, health care, communications, financial systems, water systems and government facilities.

Why is cybersecurity part of national security?

• Cybersecurity is part of national security because cyberattacks can disrupt essential services, expose sensitive data, erode public trust and affect economic stability.

What is an example of a national security cybersecurity risk?

• A ransomware attack against a hospital, utility, port, public agency or manufacturer can become a national security concern if it disrupts essential services or affects public safety.

How do supply chain risks affect national security?

• Supply chain risks affect national security when disruptions limit access to critical goods, technology, equipment, medicine, food, transportation or other services that people and organizations rely on.

What Skills Matter in National Security Cybersecurity Work? 

• National security cybersecurity work requires both technical knowledge and strategic thinking. Professionals need to understand threats, policy, organizations, people and risk.

Important skills include:

• Threat awareness. Professionals need to understand how cybercriminals, nation-state actors and other groups operate.
• Risk analysis. Not every risk is equal. Security teams must decide which vulnerabilities matter most and where to allocate resources.
• Policy knowledge. National security work often involves laws, regulations, ethics and interagency coordination.
• Communication. Leaders must explain complex threats to decision-makers who may not have technical backgrounds.
• Resilience planning. The goal is to prevent attacks when possible and prepare systems to recover when prevention fails.
• Research and analysis. National security professionals must evaluate information, identify patterns and recommend practical responses.

Prepare for Modern Security Challenges With Webster University

The digital age has expanded the meaning of safeguarding the nation. Today’s national security professionals must understand traditional security issues, cyber threats, critical infrastructure protection, policy decisions and disruption risks. 

Webster University’s Master of Arts in National Security Studies is designed for students who want to build that broader understanding. The program is offered through Webster University Online or in person and can be completed in 2 to 3 years, depending on the course load.

Webster’s curriculum helps students strengthen their research skills and study national security decision-making while offering tracks in international and regional security, cybersecurity or criminal justice.

The cybersecurity operations track includes courses such as Cybersecurity Infrastructures, Cybersecurity Intelligence/Counter-Intelligence, Cybersecurity Law and Policy, Cybersecurity Strategic Operations, Cybersecurity Threat Detection, Encryption Methods and Techniques and Introduction to Cybersecurity. 

For professionals interested in national security cybersecurity work, that combination can help connect policy, infrastructure, threat detection and practical decision-making.