State policy. It is, therefore, a policy with a measure of continuity, and is capable of
overcoming the particular agendas of any given Government, and involving the public
sector as a whole. In this regard, Act 36/2015, of 28 September, is the result of a
positive effort to join forces and integrate commitments. As a result of this collective
effort, Spain is today one of the most advanced countries in Europe in this matter.
On this basis, the promotion of a culture of national security that favours the active
involvement of Spanish society in its preservation and safeguarding must form part of
this State policy.
Every strategy needs to be periodically reviewed and adapted, particularly in view of
new events or developments that justify doing so. The aforementioned Act provides
for the Strategy to be reviewed every 5 years or “in light of the changing circumstances
of the strategic environment”.The 2013 Strategy underlined that the dynamism of the
environment and the national situation itself would call for constant adaptation and
periodic review.
Indeed, circumstances have changed—in some cases dramatically—since 2013, both
at the level of the international order and in Europe and Spain, heightening uncertainty.
Some of the threats identified at that time, such as terrorism and cyberthreats, have
become even more prominent. This was laid bare by the terrorist attacks in Europe,
including those that took place in Spain in August 2017, the first in the country since
2004. On the other hand, cyberthreats are on the rise, both in terms of number and
impact, as demonstrated by the WannaCry global cyberattack of May 2017, which
directly affected national companies, services and interests.
This increase must be understood in relation to the prevalence of so-called hybrid
actions. These are combined actions that may include—together with traditional
military methods—cyberattacks, data manipulation operations, or elements of
economic pressure, which have been particularly evident in recent electoral processes.
The ultimate goal pursued is destabilization, by promoting subversive movements and
polarizing public opinion.
In this context, trends such as the technological revolution, which form part of a
broader process of transformation and globalization, have gained momentum. They
16
National Security Strategy 2017
Presidency of the Government
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents