Honestly, I stopped believing that governments care that much about security. They mostly want to keep people in fear so that they can be somewhat under control.

Especially now that communication bandwitldth is free and quasi infinite.

It doesn't matter what the fear is and if it is actually real or not or even purposely made up.

Viruses, Russians, robbers, migrants, terrorists, it's all good.

Also, fighting those fears allows to legally funnel public money to the friends of those in power.

1984, Covid, once you see the constant psyops, you can't unsee it.