Definition of Security Threats

Mohamed SAKHRI September 21, 2024

0 108 8 minutes read

Given the close connection between the concept of security threats and the term “security”—which is challenging to define comprehensively and uniformly—it is also difficult to settle on a single meaning for security threats. The link between the two concepts lies in the fact that the feeling of being threatened leads to actions aimed at achieving security. Traditional security studies have focused on military threats as the primary, if not the only, aspect of security threats. However, with the emergence of modern security studies, the concept of security threats has expanded to include non-military sources. These studies have broadened to explore other dimensions of security threats, such as social, political, environmental, and economic factors.

Table of Contents

Definition of Security Threats

Linguistic Definition of Security Threats:

Linguistically, a threat is derived from the verb “to threaten,” meaning “to cause harm or damage.” According to this definition, a threat refers to anything that hinders the process of building security or diminishes the sense of it.

In the English language, the word “threat” is used, while in French, it corresponds to “Menace,” meaning danger. In Latin, the word “Trudere” is synonymous with “push.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, a threat is “a declaration or expression of intent to inflict harm, destruction, or punishment in retaliation or intimidation.” It is also defined as “an indication of imminent danger, harm, or evil, such as a threat of war.” In politics or security studies, “threat” is used as a political term. As a scientific concept, however, it remains relatively unknown in many social science dictionaries.

According to the French dictionary Le Petit Robert, the term “threat” refers to “the manner in which fear is projected onto a person’s face, accompanied by the intention of making them fear the harm that one intends to inflict on them.”

Terminological Definition of Security Threats:

Many scholars have attempted to define security threats, and these definitions vary greatly due to differing perspectives and intellectual schools, as well as the historical periods and issues through which the concept has been addressed. Below are some of the definitions that have been offered:

Richard Ullman’s Definition: “A national security threat is an action or a series of events that significantly, and over a relatively short period of time, reduces the quality of life of a country’s citizens or substantially narrows the range of policy choices available to the government of a country, or to private entities and non-governmental organizations (such as individuals, groups, and companies) within the state.”

Similar Concepts to Security Threats:

The relationship between the concepts of security and threat forms the notion of “security threat.” These two concepts are interrelated, as interpreting the concept of security necessitates identifying sources of threat when experiencing a “security risk.” This requires measures aimed at achieving security that are aligned with actual or potential security risks or threats. Thus, there are several concepts similar to security threats, such as:

A- Danger: Ulrich Beck, in his book Risk Society, defines danger as a harm that threatens the security of individuals, the environment, and human communities. It is something that is about to happen or has already occurred but can be contained if it doesn’t escalate. Beck also argues that risks have proliferated and diversified with technological and scientific advancements, with globalization increasing their impacts. These dangers spread rapidly from one region to another.

There is also a relationship between the concept of threat and danger. The similarities between the two lie in the fact that both lead to insecurity. However, the key difference is that danger is often known and its timing can be predicted to some extent, whereas the source and timing of a threat are unknown, making it harder to confront.

B- Challenge: The word “challenge” in Arabic comes from the root meaning to invite someone to compete in something. The corresponding English word is “challenge,” and in German, it is “Herausforderung,” while in French, it’s “défi.” In British English, the word refers to something difficult that requires skill and strength, or an invitation to compete or confront someone, like proposing a duel. A challenge is defined as the problems or difficulties a state faces that hinder its progress, pose obstacles to achieving security and stability, and threaten its vital and shared interests. These challenges are hard to avoid or ignore, though they may eventually subside without reaching the level of a threat.

One way to differentiate between a challenge and a threat is by looking at the scope of each. Challenges often fall within the realm of soft security, while threats are part of hard security. The difference lies in the fact that threats are direct, often involving the use of military force or the threat of it, with an immediate impact on security. On the other hand, challenges affect national security indirectly over the medium or long term.

From this, we can deduce that several factors influence the determination of security threats:

Nature of the Threat: This refers to the type or dimensions of the threat—whether political, economic, social, or military.
Location of the Threat: This pertains to its geographical direction and proximity, whether direct or indirect, as well as its spread and impact on one or multiple countries.
Timing of the Threat: Its current or future impact and whether it is constant or changing.
Degree of the Threat: This refers to its strength and severity.
Resource Mobilization: The scale and seriousness of the threat determine the extent of resources and efforts needed to minimize its effects. Barry Buzan has proposed a sectoral analysis of security threats.

Types of Security Threats:

There are many ways to classify security threats. Some categorize them based on the source, distinguishing between internal and external threats. Others classify them based on the nature of the threat, separating traditional threats from non-traditional ones. Below are the main types of security threats:

Actual Threats: These are threats where the state faces the risk of military force being used against it or threatened.
Potential Threats: These involve real reasons that could endanger the state’s safety but have not yet escalated to the point where military force is used to resolve the conflict.
Latent Threats: These refer to actual causes of disagreement between two or more countries, though they are not overtly visible.
Perceived Threats: These are threats that are not immediately apparent.

This traditional classification of security threats contrasts with more modern classifications, which include:

Political Threats: Political threats encompass the safety of the state, society, its ideological and institutional structure. This includes the spread of armed conflicts, whether between or within countries, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the growth of violence, terrorism, and organized crime.
Economic and Social Threats: The economy is one of the key pillars that contribute to building strong nations and societies. Any harm to the economy leads to weakened development and economic growth, increased poverty and unemployment, and the lack of basic living conditions such as healthcare, which results in the spread of diseases and epidemics. On the social level, there are issues like illegal immigration and refugee crises, which can affect national identity and the relationships between host and originating countries.
Environmental Threats: Environmental issues are among the most pressing modern threats, varying from country to country based on climate conditions. These threats include desertification, drought, and all forms of environmental pollution.

The Nature of Security Threats

Analog Security Threats: This term refers to the traditional type of threats, characterized by a military and interstate nature, where the actors share similar attributes. An example is military threats between two states, such as State “A” and State “B,” or the mutual threats between North and South Korea involving the use of force. A military threat typically involves one state amassing its troops on the border of another, mobilizing its naval fleet, conducting reconnaissance flights, and engaging in military demonstrations that instill fear in the opposing state. The objective is to threaten war to coerce the targeted state into complying with certain demands.

Asymmetric Security Threats:
The expansion of the security concept is a result of the emergence of new risks and threats on the international stage that go beyond military threats. These new threats represent a shift from traditional to non-traditional threats. In other words, these are ambiguous threats that do not originate from political entities like states but from unknown sources. These threats are known as asymmetric or unequal threats, arising between actors of unequal strength. Typically, the weaker party uses these threats to compensate for a lack of resources, employing various methods and strategies to target the vulnerabilities of the stronger party.

Asymmetric threats have several distinctive characteristics:

Non-military in nature: They have risen in prominence after the Cold War, mainly threatening industrialized nations that no longer face significant risk from traditional interstate wars.

Non-state actors: These threats are typically posed by non-governmental entities, making it difficult to pinpoint their source.

Impact on all actors: They affect the security of various entities, including regions, states, societies, and individuals.

Associated with the Global South: These threats are often linked to or originate from the Global South, following the decline of the threat from the East. This shift leads to the observation that the bipolar nature of security threats persisted after the Cold War, but the direction changed. During the Cold War, it was East/West; afterward, it became North/South.

Emerging as risks before becoming threats: Unlike direct, well-defined threats that cause immediate harm, risks are ambiguous, unclear, immeasurable, and often doubted.

It can be concluded that transformations in the security landscape have altered the concept of security threats. These threats have evolved from hard, military threats affecting states as analytical units to softer threats impacting the economic, environmental, societal, and political sectors. This shift necessitates the development of new tools to understand and address these threats. Security threats can only be effectively managed if their source, nature, structure, and intensity are identified. The response to security threats varies depending on a state’s capabilities and its standing in the international system.

References

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Definition:
“Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.”
IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) Definition:
“A potential for violation of security, which exists when there is an entity, circumstance, capability, action, or event that could cause harm.”
ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) Definition:
“Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact an asset through unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of data, and/or denial of service.”
The Open Group Definition:
“Anything that is capable of acting in a manner resulting in harm to an asset and/or organization; for example, acts of God (weather, geological events, etc.); malicious actors; errors; failures.”
Recorded Future Definition:
“Cyber threats are risks to personal data, national infrastructure, and safety, posed by attackers ranging from lone cybercriminals to nation-states and terrorist groups, using injection attacks and exploiting digital system weaknesses.”
Founder Shield Definition:
“Security Threats, by definition, are any type of malicious activity or attack that could potentially cause harm or damage to an organization, its data or its personnel. Security threats may refer to physical threats, such as theft or vandalism, as well as digital threats, such as malware or ransomware.”