چكيده لاتين
The virtual space, as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, has significantly impacted various aspects of individual and social life. These effects extend to changes in communication patterns, business practices, education, and even security. The present study aims to provide a clear picture of the impacts of the virtual space on sustainable security in Ardal County and to propose strategies for optimal use of this space to enhance security and social welfare. This research is applied in terms of its objective; quantitative-qualitative based on the nature of the data; analytical in terms of the research method; cross-sectional based on the time frame; and the data collection method is both field-based and library-based. The statistical population of this study comprised all IT and communications experts and managers in governmental and military organizations (N=60), of whom 52 were surveyed based on the principle of availability. Considering the opportunities identified and assessed in the research, it can be concluded that virtual space holds a high potential for enhancing sustainable security in Ardal County. These opportunities can be summarized into four general categories: "economic development and job creation," "improving knowledge and skills," "enhancing communication and social interactions," and "strengthening informational infrastructure." In summary, the threats posed by virtual space to Ardal County are primarily concentrated in social, security, and psychological domains, with the most significant being "fear of missing out," "engagement with dark groups," "online fraud," "spread of misinformation," "control of individuals by groups," "increasing generational gaps," "promotion of consumer culture," and "rise of demagogues and sophists." Comparatively, the strengths hold a relatively high score (1.769), indicating the presence of significant competitive advantages within the organization. The weaknesses have a lower score (0.778), but this does not imply the absence of important weaknesses; these areas require improvement. The opportunities score very well (1.948), suggesting that the phenomenon under study is situated in a dynamic environment with ample growth opportunities. The threats score very low (0.332), indicating that external threats are not particularly severe or that the environment is well-prepared to counter them. Given the total weighted scores of each factor, an aggressive strategy seems to be the best option, as the phenomenon under study possesses significant strengths and numerous growth opportunities in the environment.
