national security
Sign in to saveAlso known as natsec
defense and maintenance of a state through use of all powers at the state's disposal
National security refers to a country's ability to protect itself and its interests by using all the tools available to its government, including military, intelligence, and diplomatic resources. It matters because without it, a nation cannot effectively defend its territory, citizens, and way of life from threats.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- National security
via Wikidata · CC0
~37 min read
Article
National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military attack, national security is widely understood to include also non-military dimensions, such as the security from terrorism, minimization of crime, economic security, energy security, environmental security, food security, and cyber-security. Similarly, national security risks include, in addition to the actions of other states, action by violent non-state actors, by narcotic cartels, organized crime, by multinational corporations, and also the effects of natural disasters.
Governments rely on a range of measures, including political, economic, and military power, as well as diplomacy, to safeguard the security of a state. They may also act to build the conditions of security regionally and internationally by reducing transnational causes of insecurity, such as climate change, economic inequality, political exclusion, and nuclear proliferation.