Conflicts in the gray zone: the new universal threat

Abstract

Introduction: Conflicts in the gray zone represent an emerging and complex threat that challenges traditional notions of war and peace; they develop in an ambiguous space where hostile actions can destabilize regions and affect global security without leading to open war. Methodology: We conducted a documentary review on hybrid conflicts, influence operations, and disinformation to determine if we are living in a period of covert conflicts affecting current geopolitics and to identify new war scenarios: space, cyberspace, and the human mind. Results: The data obtained refer to the concept, objectives, strategies and tactics, different types of power, influence operations, and techniques employed by strategic actors. Discussions: These conflicts directly affect national security through cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, political destabilization, election interference, and economic coercion, and may require military responses. Conclusions: Strategic actors employ unconventional tactics in the gray zone, creating complex and multifaceted challenges such as competition for resources, territorial conflicts, and the influence of global powers like the U.S., China, and Russia. Cybersecurity and cyber espionage are growing threats. China and Russia show coordinated actions as revisionist states against the West.