Integrated security strategies in the context of hybrid threats in the Slovak Republic

The presented study results from qualitative research conducted within the national project “Increasing Slovakia’s resilience to hybrid threats by strengthening public administration capacities”. Its content reflects the fulfilment of the main goal – identifying four pillars that need to be understood in connection with the concept of hybrid threats and a specific focus on the Police Force or members of the Police Force as well as experts from practice from the National Security Office. The authors also examine the definitions and conceptualisation of hybrid threats, which subsequently led them to identify the key features appropriate for the framework of the chosen research. When preparing this study, theoretical scholarly knowledge from the professional literature and the practical experience of experts from practice were processed. The authors also drew on facts they acquired during guided interviews conducted between May and July 2023 with members of the “first contact” point of the Police Force, general crime investigators, future Police Force members, students of the Police Force Academy in Bratislava and experts from practice, to gain insights and also to detect ambiguities in connection with the concept of hybrid threats.