Cybersecurity is no longer an IT-only problem — it’s now a risk to mission, and as such, everyone’s concern. As government has grown more fully digital, breaches today threaten nearly all operations and services. Agency systems are especially vulnerable, since they comprise dozens of disconnected products and multiple entry points, each with its own security needs and weaknesses. And AI has enhanced attacker speed and sophistication.
A unified security structure can help prevent incursions and maintain mission continuity. Agencies can enforce consistent policies across applications and workflows, which remove complexity and cut costs and response times. In addition, a single framework reduces the attack surface available to adversaries and deploys AI to identify and remediate cyber threats.
“The question for governments today isn’t whether AI will change cyber defense. It already has,” said Mac Avancena, Jr., Field CISO, Americas of Check Point Software. “The question is whether agencies will have a unified platform that can harness AI defensively as quickly as attackers can use it offensively. So the question isn’t whether you’ll be attacked — it’s whether you can continue delivering your mission when you are.”
In this video interview, Avancena discusses how digital government and AI have changed security needs and the new mindset agencies need to respond effectively.
Topics include:
- Why cybersecurity is now everyone’s responsibility
- How a unified platform provides the best defense against AI-driven threats
- The role of culture and leadership in securing agency operations