Cybersecurity

In cyberspace, adversaries are growing more sophisticated and outpacing advancements in policy, education, and defense technologies. In an era of great-power competition, it is vital that policy makers and tech experts understand the underlying factors and motivations impacting the field of cybersecurity. With a focus on strategy and foresight, the Atlantic Council shifts attention from singular incidents to better understand larger cyber campaigns.

Recent analysis

How operational collaboration can improve US cyber capability and response

Report Jan 29, 2026

The US needs a cybersecurity roadmap

By Franklin D. Kramer, Robert J. Butler, and Melanie J. Teplinsky

A national cybersecurity strategy will require an operational road map.
Cybersecurity Security & Defense
How operational collaboration can improve US cyber capability and response

Report Sep 30, 2025

404 Accountability not found: Spyware accountability through software liability

By Sara Ann Brackett, Jen Roberts

This report proposes a legislative safe harbor framework that would incentivize technology companies to engage in spyware accountability.
Cybersecurity United Kingdom
How operational collaboration can improve US cyber capability and response

Issue Brief Sep 10, 2025

Mythical Beasts: Diving into the depths of the global spyware market

By Sarah Graham, Jen Roberts, and Nitansha Bansal

The second edition of the Mythical Beasts project assess how the global spyware market has developed and changed over the past year.
Cybersecurity

Programs

The Atlantic Council Technology Programs comprises five existing efforts—the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), the GeoTech Center, the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the Democracy + Tech Initiative, and the Capacity Building Initiative. These operations work together to address the geopolitical implications of technology and provide policymakers and global stakeholders necessary research, insights, and convenings to address challenges around global technology and ensure its responsible advancement.

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Content

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2021

How operational collaboration can improve US cyber capability and response

By Gregory Rattray

Dealing with cyber challenges to US national security will take operational collaboration that unites all levels of the government and the private sector. These efforts can maximize the strategic impact of public- and private-sector capabilities, speed up defenders’ response times, and provide organizations with advanced warning of potential attacks and complex threats to resilience.

Cybersecurity Technology & Innovation

Issue Brief

May 10, 2021

What would Winston do? Cooperative approaches toward securing the Five Eyes information environment

By Daniel Dobrowolski, David V. Gioe, and Trey Herr

Given the global prevalence of English, the countries comprising the Five Eyes intelligence alliance should build upon existing proven frameworks to cooperate to secure their shared information environment.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

Report

May 10, 2021

Mission resilience: Adapting defense aerospace to evolving cybersecurity challenges

By Simon Handler, Trey Herr, Steve Luczynski, and Reed Porada

While aerospace presents inherently distinct challenges from other spaces, defense organizations could look to the private sector and adapt commercial practices to implement the principles of resilience.

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

Event Recap

May 5, 2021

Event recap | Achieving healthy communities and economic renewal

By the GeoTech Center

On Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 8:00am EDT, the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center hosted a panel of experts to explore “How We Can Achieve Both Healthy Communities and Economic Renewal”. The panel included Mona Nemer, chief science advisor to Canada’s Prime Minister; Philippe Gillet, chief scientific officer with SICPA; Luukas Ilves, head of strategy with Guardtime; Daniella Taveau, principal of Bold Text Strategies; and Declan Kirrane, the managing director of ISC Intelligence in Science.

Coronavirus Cybersecurity

New Atlanticist

May 5, 2021

The urgent task before the US and EU: To craft democracy that ‘delivers’

By Daniel Malloy

Věra Jourová, vice-president for values and transparency at the European Commission, and US Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) joined the Atlantic Council's EU-US Future Forum to discuss how to defend democracy.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

New Atlanticist

May 4, 2021

A plea to the Pentagon: Don’t sacrifice resilience on the altar of innovation

By JC Herz

US defense systems are vulnerable because they are brittle and unmaintained, and thus not resilient. Fixing it will require a new approach to acquisition.

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

Seizing the advantage

May 3, 2021

How the US and EU can counter digital threats together

By Harry I. Hannah

Russian and Chinese threats all seek to exploit gaps in Western cyber defenses and digital and information governance. To close these gaps as a part of its defense strategy, the United States should develop a strong collaborative relationship with the European Union in the digital and information sphere.

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

In the News

Apr 28, 2021

Warrick quoted in CNN on monitoring extremist chatter online

By Atlantic Council

Cybersecurity Extremism

In the News

Apr 28, 2021

Haring & Wilson in The Washington Post: Why are the Russians pranking Washington think tanks?

By Atlantic Council

Civil Society Cybersecurity

In the News

Apr 26, 2021

Sherman and Herr in Council on Foreign Relations: the US should make “leverage” the foundation of its cyber strategy

The SolarWinds incident spurred a flurry of debates about whether the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2018 “defend forward” strategy should, or could, have prevented the calamity. Putting aside that the Russian operation was cyber espionage—stealing data rather than denying, disrupting, degrading, or destroying systems—some of these arguments reflected an idea that the United States should […]

Cybersecurity
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Experts

Fellow

Yasmine Abdillahi

Nonresident Fellow

Africa Center

Africa Cybersecurity

Fellow

Michael Allen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Cybersecurity

Fellow

Victor Atkins

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Crisis Management Cybersecurity

Staff

Nitansha Bansal

Associate Director

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity

Fellow

Tyson Barker

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Fellow

Ryan Berger

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

Americas Cybersecurity
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