The relevance of the study: in this paper the author attempts to examine the role of transnational corporations and non-governmental organizations in the field of international security. The purpose of the study: the purpose of the article is to analyze the sources of literature and to identify the main positive and negative aspects of the non-state actors activities. Research methods: the author analyzes the historical experience of the influence of non-state actors on international security sphere and studies the current state of affairs. Results of the study: relying on the scientific literature of domestic researchers, the author highlights the main points regarding the role of non-state actors in the security sphere and comes to the conclusion that non-state actors can play both a positive and negative role in the international security sphere. Practical significance: materials of the article have a practical value for the academic community