Strategic Intelligence and Digital Sovereignty: Challenges and Opportunities for the National Navy of Colombia

Authors

  • Cedrid Gómez Torregrosa Ejército de Chile del Arma de Infantería.

Keywords:

Maritime cyber defense, strategic intelligence, digital sovereignty, resilience, ; international cooperation

Abstract

Strategic intelligence and digital sovereignty have become fundamental pillars of Colombia’s national and maritime defense in the face of emerging twenty-first century threats. In an environment where cyberspace constitutes a new domain of global confrontation, the Colombian Navy faces the challenge of integrating maritime cyber defense into its doctrine, organizational structure, and legal framework. Drawing on the international experiences of the United States, China, Russia, the European Union, and NATO, as well as the contributions of specialized think tanks, this analysis identifies the main challenges and opportunities the country faces in its transition toward a multidomain security architecture. The consolidation of a national maritime cybersecurity doctrine—articulated with strategic intelligence and digital sovereignty—will strengthen institutional resilience and ensure the protection of Colombia’s maritime, economic, and national security interests

Author Biography

Cedrid Gómez Torregrosa, Ejército de Chile del Arma de Infantería.

Colonel (Ret.) of the Chilean Army from the Infantry branch. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Military Sciences and is a General Staff Officer. He is a Specialist in Basic Intelligence, Specialist in Specialized Intelligence with emphasis on drugs, Specialist in Specialized Intelligence with emphasis on special investigative techniques, Military Academy Professor with emphasis on Military Geography and Geopolitics, Military School Professor with emphasis on weapons knowledge and marksmanship, and an Honorary Professor of the Military Forces of Colombia.

He also holds the professional title of Lawyer. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Sciences, a Master’s degree in Strategic Planning and Management, and is a Specialist in University Teaching. He also holds diplomas in International Security and Strategic Studies, Cybersecurity, Geopolitics, Defense Resource and Project Management and Administration, Business Administration, and Virtual University Teaching.

He has completed training courses in Pedagogical Development, Professional Research, Military History, National Defense Orientation, and Strategic Decision-Making in Communication for Security and Defense.

He has more than 20 years of teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate higher education institutions in Chile and Colombia, including:

In Chile: the Military Academy, the Non-Commissioned Officers School, the Intelligence School, the War Academy, and the Military Polytechnic Academy of the Chilean Army; Universidad Mayor; Universidad de Concepción; the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile; the DUOC-UC Technical Training Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; and the San Sebastián Professional Institute of the Universidad San Sebastián.

In Colombia: the War College (Escuela Superior de Guerra), the Army Intelligence and Counterintelligence School, the Intelligence School of the Colombian Aerospace Force, and Universidad Externado.

He has specialized in research areas such as Cyber Law (Computer Law), Strategic Planning, Geopolitics, Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Cyber Defense.

References

AP News. (2023, June). NATO to Strengthen Cyber Defence Commitments After Series of Hybrid Threats. Associated Press.

Atlantic Council. (2022). The cyber strategy and operations of Hamas: Green flags and green hats (S. Handler). Atlantic Council.

Atlantic Council. (2022). Securing the Maritime Cyber Domain: Policy Recommendations for a Connected Ocean. Washington, D.C.: Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative.

Buchanan, B. (2020). The Hacker and the State: Cyber Attacks and the New Normal of Geopolitics. Harvard University Press.

CNA Corporation. (2023). Assessing Russian Cyber and Information Warfare in Ukraine: Expectations, Realities, and Lessons. CNA.

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA). (2021). Maritime Cybersecurity: A Systems Approach to Critical Infrastructure Protection. Arlington, VA: CNA.

Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). (2022). Tallinn Papers on Maritime Cyber Defence. Tallinn, Estonia.

CSIS, CCDCOE and other think-tanks analyses referenced above. CSIS+1

DeNardis, L. (2020). The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch. Yale University Press.

Department of Defense (DoD). (2023). 2023 DoD Cyber Strategy: Summary. U.S. Department of Defense.

European Commission. (2020). EU Cybersecurity Strategy for the Digital Decade. Bruselas: European Union Publications Office.

European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). (2022). Maritime Cybersecurity – Good Practices for Cyber Risk Management and Threat Mitigation. Atenas: ENISA.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) — Guidance on maritime cyber risk management. Organización Marítima Internacional

Junta Interamericana de Defensa (JID). (2020). Guía de Ciberdefensa para las Américas. Organización de los Estados Americanos.

Junta Interamericana de Defensa (JID). (2023). Guía Hemisférica para el Fortalecimiento de las Capacidades de Ciberdefensa Militar. Washington, D.C.: Organización de los Estados Americanos.

Kania, E. B. (2019). Battlefield Singularity: Artificial Intelligence, Military Revolution, and China’s Future Military Power. Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Lowenthal, M. M. (2019). Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy (8th ed.). CQ Press.

Ministerio de Defensa Nacional de Colombia. (2022). Política de Seguridad, Defensa y Convivencia Ciudadana 2022–2026. Gobierno de Colombia.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (2023). NATO Cyber Defence Strategy 2023. Brussels: NATO Headquarters.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). (2023). Locked Shields and Cyber Coalition Exercises: Building Resilience Through Practice. Tallinn, Estonia.

Office of the Secretary of Defense (DoD). (2023). Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2023: Annual Report to Congress. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense.

Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA). (2023). Plan de Acción del Comité Interamericano contra el Terrorismo (CICTE) sobre Ciberseguridad y Ciberdefensa. Washington, D.C.: Secretaría de Seguridad Multidimensional de la OEA.

OEA – JID. (2022). Memoria Anual de la Junta Interamericana de Defensa 2022. Washington, D.C.

Organización Marítima Internacional. (2021). Directrices sobre la gestión del riesgo cibernético marítimo (MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.2). Londres: IMO.

OTAN. (2023). Cyber Defence Policy and Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. NATO Headquarters.

Rid, T. (2013). Cyber War Will Not Take Place. Oxford University Press.

Schmitt, M. N. (Ed.). (2013). Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. Cambridge University Press.

Schmitt, M. N. (Ed.). (2017). Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. Cambridge University Press.

StratCom/COE — report on Russia’s cyberspace strategy. stratcomcoe.org

Tallinn Manual 2.0 — Michael N. Schmitt (ed.), Cambridge Univ. Press (2017). onlinelibrary.iihl.org

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). (2021). Chinese Military Power: Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win. U.S. Army TRADOC G-2, Operational Environment Enterprise (OE Watch / oe.tradoc.army.mil).

U.S. Department of Defense — 2023 DoD Cyber Strategy (summary). U.S. Department of War

U.S. Department of War. (2021). Maritime Cyber Defense Strategy and Multidomain Integration Framework. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Navy / Department of the Navy — Inaugural Cyber Strategy (2023)

Published

12/22/2025

How to Cite

Gómez Torregrosa, C. (2025). Strategic Intelligence and Digital Sovereignty: Challenges and Opportunities for the National Navy of Colombia. DERROTERO, 19(02), 14. Retrieved from https://www.revistasescuelanaval.com/derrotero/article/view/138

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.