Based on the assessment of contemporary reality, it can be said that one of the most critical functions of a modern state is to provide its citizens with an acceptable level of security – that is to say, to create optimal conditions for protection against hypothetical and real threats, such as potential natural disasters, consequences of civilizational advancements (accidents or man-made disasters), terrorist attacks, wars, and armed conflicts. It should be emphasized that in modern, democratic societies, the right of people (social groups) to be protected from numerous threats results from the legal, ethical, and moral norms in force, which have been developed in civilizational development and are based on historical experience. The research focused on analyzing normative documents (laws and regulations) and selected scientific and popular science literature dedicated to the functioning of the crisis management system and contemporary management. The synthetic conclusions of this analysis constitute the basis for further in-depth research.