The Commander of the MCCE highlights the close link between sovereignty and security in today’s digital environment

• Vice-Admiral Roca took part in the breakfast event ‘Cyberspace: Spain and the challenge of European sovereignty and security’, organised by the Club Diálogos para la Democracia

The Commander of the Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE), Vice-Admiral Javier Roca, took part in the breakfast briefing entitled ‘Cyberspace: Spain and the challenge of European sovereignty and security’, organised by the Club Diálogos para la Democracia in Madrid.

During his speech, the commander of the MCCE emphasised the close link between sovereignty and security in today’s digital environment, noting that in a ‘phygital’ world — where the physical and virtual worlds converge — the defence of networks and digital infrastructure is just as critical to the country’s well-being as the protection of traditional borders.

Vice-Admiral Roca emphasised that “there is no such thing as 100 per cent absolute security in cyberspace”, so the aim must be “to move as far away from 0 per cent as possible through sound risk management”, which involves “establishing relationships of trust in line with our national strategy and, above all, having the capacity to make decisions”.

In order to structure the national defence strategy, the Vice-Admiral has defined digital sovereignty through three essential pillars, summarised by the acronym TOD: Technological sovereignty (ranging from energy and connectivity to hardware and software), Operational sovereignty (based on talent, training and public awareness) and Data sovereignty.

In addition, he emphasised that whilst technological sovereignty can be achieved through financial investment, operational and data sovereignty are the most complex and decisive factors, as they require a genuine capacity to utilise technological resources efficiently and under a jurisdiction that guarantees state control over strategic information.

During the discussion session, the head of the MCCE emphasised that the Command’s top priority is to develop “proven, real-world capabilities” that produce “significant results for the various missions entrusted to us, whether they be deterrence, active defence or intelligence”. 

Vice-Admiral Roca also referred to the Spanish cybersecurity industry and recommended that companies, “whatever their size, ask themselves about their vision – that is, what they want to contribute to a world that has changed” – and urged them to tackle “cultural change, because the obstacle to what they want to become in this new world will not be technology or money, but their own corporate culture, which may prevent them from moving forward”.