Received 21.10.2024, Revised 31.01.2025, Accepted 25.03.2025
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of cybersecurity and a number of other non-military factors of countries’ resistance to threats on their defence capabilities and to characterise the factors that determine the level of cybersecurity. As a result, the state of digitalisation of the defence economy of Ukraine is characterised through qualitative and quantitative indicators, allowing for the substantial efforts of the state to implement digitalisation and ensure cybersecurity to be noted. It is established that the country’s cybersecurity level was lower than the global average, and the spending on digitalisation in the defence sector was only 0.16% of the total cost of the main areas. In the paper, it is noted that improving the level of cybersecurity in the context of the rapid introduction of digitalisation is a priority for ensuring defence capability because digitalisation creates new challenges for cybersecurity. This is confirmed by regression analysis, which identified a statistically substantial and negative impact of digitalisation and the level of human development on cybersecurity. In addition, the aspects of countries’ defence capabilities that are most affected by the level of cybersecurity are determined using regression analysis. It is discovered that the increase in the cybersecurity indicator per unit caused an increase in military strength by 0.354. Therefore, the impact of cybersecurity on defence economy can be considered substantial. Based on the results of the study, recommendations are formed for Ukraine on digitalisation of the defence economy and improving the level of cybersecurity. The results obtained can be useful for developing strategies to improve cybersecurity in the defence economy in the context of the rapid introduction of digitalisation
military strength; non-military threat resilience factors; human development level; global innovation index; costs
[1] 2025 military strength ranking. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.php.
[2] Abdullahi, M., Baashar, Y., Alhussian, H., Alwadain, A., Aziz, N., Capretz, L.F., & Abdulkadir, S.J. (2022). Detecting cybersecurity attacks in internet of things using artificial intelligence methods: A systematic literature review. Electronics, 11(2), article number 198. doi: 10.3390/electronics11020198.
[3] Al Kurdi, B., Alquqa, E.K., Nuseir, M.T., Alzoubi, H.M., Alshurideh, M.T., & AlHamad, A. (2024). Impact of cyber security and risk management on green operations: Empirical evidence from security companies in the UAE. In H.M. Alzoubi, M.T. Alshurideh & T.M. Ghazal (Eds.), Cyber security impact on digitalization and business intelligence: Big cyber security for information management: Opportunities and challenges (pp. 151-167). Cham: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-31801-6_9.
[4] Alsharif, M., Mishra, S., & AlShehri, M. (2022). Impact of human vulnerabilities on cybersecurity. Computer Systems Science & Engineering, 40(3), 1153-1166. doi: 10.32604/csse.2022.019938.
[5] Araya, D., & King, M. (2022). The impact of artificial intelligence on military defence and security. Waterloo: Centre for International Governance Innovation.
[6] Armed forces personnel, total. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.TOTL.P1.
[7] Avtalion, Z., Aviv, I., Hadar, I., Luria, G., & Bar-Gil, O. (2024). Digital infrastructure as a new organizational digital climate dimension. Applied Sciences, 14(19), 8592. doi: 10.3390/app14198592.
[8] Bolila, S. (2023). The role of information technologies and digital tools in the context of war challenges and post-war recovery of Ukraine’s economy. Taurida Scientific Herald. Series: Economics, 16, 265-275. doi: 10.32782/2708-0366/2023.16.35.
[9] Bondarenko, S., Makeieva, O., Usachenko, O., Veklych, V., Arifkhodzhaieva, T., & Lernyk, S. (2022). The legal mechanisms for information security in the context of digitalization. Journal of Information Technology Management, 14, 25-58. doi: 10.22059/jitm.2022.88868.
[10] Brenner, B., & Hartl, B. (2021). The perceived relationship between digitalization and ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 315, article number 128128. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128128.
[11] Cai, D., Hu, J., Jiang, H., Ai, F., & Bai, T. (2023). Research on the relationship between defense technology innovation and high‐quality economic development: Gray correlation analysis based on panel data. Managerial and Decision Economics, 44(7), 3867-3877. doi: 10.1002/mde.3925.
[12] Charfeddine, M., Kammoun, H.M., Hamdaoui, B., & Guizani, M. (2024). ChatGPT’s security risks and benefits: Offensive and defensive use-cases, mitigation measures, and future implications. IEEE Access, 12, 30263-30310. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3367792.
[13] Cheberyako, O., & Rudyk, K. (2023). Digitalization and impact on the formation of financial resources for defense activities under the conditions of the state of martial. Internauka, 12. doi: 10.25313/2520-2057-2023-12-9005.
[14] Cherlenіak, I., & Tokar, M. (2024). Effective governance and the doctrine of “total defence” as factors of state stability in wartime. Democratic Governance, 17(1), 5-17. doi: 10.23939/dg2024.05.
[15] Countries with the highest military spending worldwide in 2023. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/262742/countries-with-the-highest-military-spending/.
[16] Decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine No. n0055525-21 “On the Cyber Security Strategy of Ukraine”. (2021, May). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/n0055525-21#Text.
[17] Defence spending and procurement trends. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.iiss.org/publications/the-military-balance/2025/defence-spending-and-procurement-trends/.
[18] Defence talks: How is the defence sector going digital in times of war? (2025). Retrieved from https://nako.org.ua/en/news/defence-talks-yak-vidbuvajetsya-cifrovizaciya-oboronnogo-sektoru-pid-cas-viini.
[19] Eichensehr, K.E. (2022). Ukraine, cyberattacks, and the lessons for international law. AJIL Unbound, 116, 145-149. doi: 10.1017/aju.2022.20.
[20] FM resilience index. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fm.com/resources/resilience-index/explore-the-data/.
[21] Fyshchuk, I., Noesgaard, M.S., & Nielsen, J.A. (2024). Managing cyberattacks in wartime: The case of Ukraine. Public Administration Review. doi: 10.1111/puar.13895.
[22] GDP per capita (current US$). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD.
[23] GII 2024 results. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/gii-2024-results.html.
[24] Global AI in defense and security market. (2024). Retrieved from https://market.us/report/ai-in-defense-and-security-market/.
[25] Goswami, S.S., Sarkar, S., Gupta, K.K., & Mondal, S. (2023). The role of cyber security in advancing sustainable digitalization: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Decision Analytics and Intelligent Computing, 3(1), 270-285. doi: 10.31181/jdaic10018122023g.
[26] Grybauskas, A., Stefanini, A., & Ghobakhloo, M. (2022). Social sustainability in the age of digitalization: A systematic literature review on the social implications of industry 4.0. Technology in Society, 70, article number 101997. doi: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101997.
[27] Guembe, B., Azeta, A., Misra, S., Osamor, V.C., Fernandez-Sanz, L., & Pospelova, V. (2022). The emerging threat of AI-driven cyber attacks: A review. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 36(1), article number 2037254. doi: 10.1080/08839514.2022.2037254.
[28] Gupta, M., Akiri, C., Aryal, K., Parker, E., & Praharaj, L. (2023). From ChatGPT to ThreatGPT: Impact of generative AI in cybersecurity and privacy. IEEE Access, 11, 80218-80245. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3300381.
[29] Human Capital Index (HCI), upper bound (scale 0-1) – East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/HD.HCI.OVRL.UB?locations=4E.
[30] Hysi, A., Avdulaj, J., Shahini, E., Goga, I., & Shahini, E. (2024). Role of legal regulation in the establishment and development of the public administration system with local self-government aspects. Social and Legal Studios, 7(1), 27-36. doi: 10.32518/sals1.2024.27.
[31] Ige, A.B., Kupa, E., & Ilori, O. (2024). Analyzing defense strategies against cyber risks in the energy sector: Enhancing the security of renewable energy sources. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 12(1), 2978-2995. doi: 10.30574/ijsra.2024.12.1.1186.
[32] Kalla, D., Kuraku, S., & Samaah, F. (2023). Advantages, disadvantages and risks associated with ChatGPT and AI on cybersecurity. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 10(10), 84-94.
[33] Kania, E.B. (2022). Artificial intelligence in China’s revolution in military affairs. In M. Raska, K. Zysk & I. Bowers (Eds.), Defence innovation and the 4th industrial revolution (pp. 65-92). London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003268215.
[34] Knudsen, E.S., Lien, L.B., Timmermans, B., Belik, I., & Pandey, S. (2021). Stability in turbulent times? The effect of digitalization on the sustainability of competitive advantage. Journal of Business Research, 128, 360-369. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.008.
[35] Komykh, N. (2023). Actual aspects of cybersecurity in Ukraine during the war. In Materials of the VII international scientific and practical conference “International and national security: Theoretical and applied aspects” (pp. 530-532). Dnipro: Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs.
[36] Kralich, Ye. (2024). Military technological innovations in the defense sector of the economy. Bulletin of Mariupol State University. Series: Economics, 27, 15-24. doi: 10.34079/2226-2822-2024-14-27-15-24.
[37] Kumar, S., & Mallipeddi, R.R. (2022). Impact of cybersecurity on operations and supply chain management: Emerging trends and future research directions. Production and Operations Management, 31(12), 4488-4500. doi: 10.1111/poms.13859.
[38] Law of Ukraine No. 2163-VIII “On the Basic Principles of Cybersecurity in Ukraine”. (2017, October). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/2163-19.
[39] Lyndyuk, A., Boiko, V., Bruh, O., Olishchuk, P., & Rurak, I. (2023). Development of international cooperation of the borderline territorial communities of Ukraine with the EU countries under martial law. Financial and Credit Activity: Problems of Theory and Practice, 5(52), 244-255. doi: 10.55643/fcaptp.5.52.2023.4161.
[40] Metelskyi, I., & Kravchuk, M. (2023). Features of cybercrime and its prevalence in Ukraine. Law, Policy and Security, 1(1), 18-25.
[41] Metin, B., Özhan, F.G., & Wynn, M. (2024). Digitalisation and cybersecurity: Towards an operational framework. Electronics, 13(21), article number 4226. doi: 10.3390/electronics13214226.
[42] Military expenditure (current USD). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
[43] Miroshnychenko, B. (2024). Ukrainian defence industry revenues up by 50% compared to last year. Retrieved from https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/10/9/7478872/.
[44] Reis, J., Cohen, Y., Melão, N., Costa, J., & Jorge, D. (2021). High-tech defense industries: Developing autonomous intelligent systems. Applied Sciences, 11(11), article number 4920. doi: 10.3390/app11114920.
[45] Rickli, J.M., & Ienca, M. (2021). The security and military implications of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence. In O. Friedrich, A. Wolkenstein, C. Bublitz, R.J. Jox & E. Racine (Eds.), Clinical neurotechnology meets artificial intelligence: Philosophical, ethical, legal and social implications (pp. 197-214). Cham: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64590-8_15.
[46] Samusevych, Y.V., Novikov, V.V., Artiukhov, A.Y., & Vasylieva, T.A. (2021). Convergence trends in the “economy-education-digitalization-national security” chain. Naukovyi Visnyk Natsionalnoho Hirnychoho Universytetu, 6, 177-183. doi: 10.33271/nvngu/2021-6/177.
[47] Security Threats Index – country rankings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/security_threats_index/.
[48] Shahini, E., Fedorchuk, M., Hruban, V., Fedorchuk, V., & Sadovoy, O. (2024). Renewable energy opportunities in Ukraine in the context of blackouts. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 81(1), 125-133. doi: 10.1080/00207233.2024.2320021.
[49] Sharma, P., & Dash, B. (2023). Impact of big data analytics and ChatGPT on cybersecurity. In I. Hussain & S. Das (Eds.), Proceedings of the 4th international conference on computing and communication systems (pp. 1-6). Shillong: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/I3CS58314.2023.10127411.
[50] SIPRI arms industry database. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sipri.org/databases/armsindustry.
[51] Thanh, T.T., Ha, L.T., Dung, H.P., & Huong, T.T. (2023). Impacts of digitalization on energy security: Evidence from European countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25, 11599-11644. doi: 10.1007/s10668-022-02545-7.