Cyber Power in a Digital World

Cyber power is a concept that has gained relevance with geopolitical dynamics reaching cyberspace and the increasing intertwining between the physical and digital. In this regard, this concept has been treated through three theoretical lenses: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Still, constructivist approaches to the concept are sparse and deserve some attention.

Cyber Power in a Digital World is premised on a constructivist perspective, exploring the research problem: How do states’ perceptions of cybersecurity shape the form of their power projection? Does that confer a new form of power relations, therefore, cyber power as a phenomenon? To tackle these questions, the authors utilize a case study approach of three conventional geopolitical European powers; the United Kingdom, France, and Germany; and examine the intersectionality of cyber power in industrial societies versus less industrial ones.

Offering a detailed examination of the intersection between cybersecurity and state power, Cyber Power in a Digital World delivers valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners interested in the future of international relations and the role of cyber power in shaping the global order.

Bruna Toso de Alcântara holds a PhD in International Strategic Studies by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS/Brazil). From 2019 to 2020 she was a research fellow at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) in Berlin. In 2020 she participated as collaborating researcher at the Center for Cyber Security and International Relations Studies (CCSIRS) and in 2023 she participated as a fellow in the European Union Cyber Diplomacy Fellowship (EU:CD Fellowship). She has also worked, as a cybersecurity consultant to EppiX eSolution Ltd (2021-2022) and as a technical advisor at the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br – 2021-2023).

Donavon Johnson is a professor, a data management specialist, and a digital transformation expert whose research focuses on digital transformation, emerging technologies, governance, and innovation in the realm of public administration, public policy, and development studies. Dr. Johnson’s research interests also include public management, democracy, and representation, His books include Cryptocurrency and Public Policy (Routledge, 2022) and Leadership Fundamentals for Cybersecurity in Public Policy and Administration (Routledge, 2025).