development opportunities for Poland, while generating previously unknown threats. The challenge for the state consists in joining the technological race in this area, which would offer Poland the opportunity to overcome the position of a mere user and join the group of countries with effectively functioning digital economies, providing solutions and co-creating international standards. Fixed and mobile communication networks form the basis for information exchange. They include voice communication, data transmission, video and broadly defined Internet access for all key sectors of the economy. As such, communication systems are a key component of national security assets and preparatory measures for crisis situations and therefore they constitute an important element of the national critical infrastructure. In this respect, a key challenge is to develop secure and modern telecommunication networks capable of serving an increasing number of end users and systems. In the context of the digital revolution, the specific role of cyberspace and information space should be taken into account. This also creates room for disinformation and manipulation of information, which requires effective strategic communication activities. It is crucial for Poland to ensure energy security. The markets of Poland and other countries of the Central European and Balkan regions are dominated by gas and oil supplies from the Russian Federation. New projects, especially Nord Stream 2, will increase the dependence of the countries in the regions on energy carriers from the East and will generate the risk of using selective gas supplies as an instrument of political pressure. A separate challenge is to maintain the competitiveness of electricity production in Poland due to the climate and energy policy of the European Union, which aims to markedly reduce the use of coal in electricity production. A significant problem in the context of energy security remains to be the condition of Polish infrastructure: power plants, underdeveloped transmission networks, especially electricity and gas grids as well as gas storage facilities. The extension of transmission networks as well as oil and fuel storage capacities has not been sufficient so far. As regards the financial security of the state and the stability of the state economy, the challenge for national security is to ensure high efficiency and effectiveness of the instruments allowing for supervision of the financial markets, in particular banking and capital markets supervision. It is reasonable to carry out further actions based on modern solutions in the sphere of financial technologies, with simultaneous implementation of solutions optimising the risks pertaining to their functioning. 8