Following the US occupation in 2003, Iraq witnessed profound transformations at various political, social, economic, and cultural levels, along with radical changes in the fields of technology, communications, and the internet. It can be said that Iraq has begun to develop a fourth new domain, in addition to the three traditional domains (land, sea, and air), namely cybersecurity, as a result of the increasing reliance on information and communications technologies (ICTs) in both the public and private sectors. With this digital transformation, the urgent need to develop effective cybersecurity strategies has emerged to protect national data and vital infrastructure from growing and complex threats. Iraqi decision-makers have recognized the importance of cybersecurity as an integral part of national security, leading to its inclusion in the National Security Strategy in 2007 and 2025, followed by the issuance of a specialized National Cybersecurity Strategy in 2017. However, the government's drive toward digital transformation and the development of cybersecurity frameworks has become more evident since 2018, with ministerial programs including cybersecurity plans. However, the implementation of these strategies faced significant challenges at various executive, legislative, and technical levels, negatively impacting Iraq's ability to confront cyber threats and ensure its cybersecurity.

The research seeks to answer a fundamental question: How did national security strategies, with their cyber dimension, influence the formulation and development of government plans and policies in Iraq after 2007, and what were the challenges facing the strategic development of cybersecurity in achieving its objectives?

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