Security professionals must rethink their approach to modern threats. Today’s security landscape is no longer defined by traditional, large-scale conflicts. Instead, it’s shaped by gray zone warfare, cyberwarfare as non-kinetic fires, and decentralized, adaptive threats that operate outside conventional boundaries.

Robb emphasizes that most security failures stem from bad orientation—misreading the situation and relying on outdated mental models. Traditional security frameworks focus on control and centralization, but modern threats are networked, unpredictable, and constantly evolving. The solution? Shift toward resilience and decentralization, building systems that can absorb shocks and recover quickly.

Brose frames cyberwarfare as non-kinetic fires, highlighting that attacks on critical infrastructure and digital systems can achieve the same disruptive impact as physical attacks without ever firing a shot. Understanding cyber threats through this lens helps security professionals realize that cyberattacks are not isolated incidents—they're part of larger geopolitical strategies designed to destabilize and erode trust.

A key theme throughout is the importance of decentralized and redundant systems. Whether it’s microgrids in energy or distributed cloud storage in cybersecurity, resilience comes from removing single points of failure and ensuring critical operations continue even when parts of a system are compromised.

Finally, gray zone warfare—a space between peace and open conflict—has become the new normal. Threat actors exploit gaps in traditional security systems using tactics like disinformation, economic coercion, and cyberattacks. Security professionals must adapt by embracing layered defenses, understanding the political context behind attacks, and recognizing that the battlefield is everywhere.

The future of security isn’t about preventing every attack—it’s about anticipating disruptions, absorbing damage, and recovering faster

Open-source warfare and the rise of super-empowered individuals are redefining the nature of conflict in the modern era, blurring the lines between traditional warfare, cybersecurity, and politics. Historically, warfare was the domain of nation-states, fought on defined battlefields with formal declarations. Today, those boundaries have dissolved. Individuals and decentralized groups now have the power to disrupt critical infrastructure, manipulate public opinion, and even influence global events- all without the resources or formal backing of a state.

The concept of open-source warfare revolves around decentralized actors sharing tools, tactics, and knowledge in real time. This collaboration allows even small groups to achieve outsized impacts, whether through cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, or improvised weaponry. The rise of super-empowered individuals- highly skilled actors who operate independently- further amplifies this dynamic. These individuals, using open-source tools, can influence or disrupt systems on a scale that was once unthinkable for non-state actors.