Governments need private-sector firepower to fight the next cyber war

Governments cannot defend national digital infrastructure alone as AI accelerates attacks, cybercrime becomes industrialised and private companies control much of the technology on which states depend, warns Steve Durbin, Chief Executive of the Information Security Forum (ISF).

Cybersecurity is a contest between attackers and defenders. For far too long, governments have been defending their turf alone while attackers frequently target public-sector entities with little to no resistance, launching attacks with national rami cations. Despite rules and regulations meant to establish baseline controls, attacks continue to define a growing threat landscape.

The harsh reality is that the threat surface has grown wildly beyond what governments can realistically defend.

The digital infrastructure that governments aim to secure is a product of private companies. ere are limits to what the state can secure on its own, which means the focus must shift to closer collaboration with the private sector.

Let’s take a closer look at why an ideal defensive and offensive posture for risk management should entail a more collaborative effort from the government.