Preparing governments for future shocks

Now more than ever, government digital platforms—and the valuable information these platforms store—are caught in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored threat actors. As the tempo of cyberattacks on governmental organizations increases and the cost of data breaches escalate, government agencies and service providers must think differently about the potential for cyber disruption and cyber destruction.

Cybersecurity experts convene in Washington, D.C. and Rome, Italy to develop an action plan

To develop action plans for building cyber resiliency at the governmental level, the IBM Institute for Business Value and the IBM Center for The Business of Government, along with the National Academy of Public Administration and the Center for American Studies, hosted two roundtable events in Washington, D.C. and Rome, Italy. These roundtables—bringing together experts from government, academia and the business world—discussed the leadership role of government in cybersecurity planning and response.

Governmental organizations need to recruit talent from a wider population to solve the cybersecurity staffing challenge

Roundtable participants identified four major areas where government leaders should focus their efforts on cybersecurity. All agreed on the highest priority: to increase the cyber talent resource base. On a worldwide basis, over 3.4 million cybersecurity positions remain unfilled. Ensuring that governmental organizations can meet the cybersecurity staffing challenge will require a multi-pronged effort and new thinking to recruit talent from a wider population.

“We help government leaders build resilience against future adversity. By simulating cyberattack scenarios, we can show them what a really bad day looks like.” 

- Cristina Caballe Fuguet, Vice President, Global Public Sector, IBM         

Stay ahead of threats through public and private sector collaboration

In response to threat actors quickly adapting new technologies to penetrate networks and thwart countermeasures, roundtable participants recommended a range of measures to stay a step ahead of these threats, such as increasing collaboration and expediting information sharing.

Roundtable speakers expressed concerns about how cyber warfare actors are targeting the functions of democratic states and institutions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns. These campaigns have the potential to sway public opinion and undermine democratic forms of government, and participants called for more research on methods to defend against these threats.

Align with the National Cybersecurity Strategy to build cyber resilience leaders

These action items align with the National Cybersecurity Strategy, released by the White House on March 2, 2023. Findings from these roundtables could help the US, Italy, and governments around the world develop and implement strategies to build cyber resilience leaders for future readiness against cyber-related future shocks.

Download the report to explore strategies for increasing the cyber talent resource base, improving organizational collaboration, and aligning public-private sector cybersecurity priorities.