Leadership & Executive Communication,
Training & Security Leadership
Scenario Planning: Enhancing Cyber Resilience Amid Geopolitical Disruptions
While IT organizations have established plans for unexpected outages, the volatility of geopolitical shifts remains a challenging variable. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and technology leaders are urged to prioritize scenario planning that addresses these disruptions effectively.
Experts suggest adopting a “chief geopolitical officer” perspective, as recommended by William Dixon, a senior associate fellow for cyber and international security at the Royal United Services Institute. This approach includes integrating geopolitical intelligence into the technology lifecycle and employing scenario planning to examine the implications of total loss of access to specific regions or vendors. Additionally, building “exit readiness” into vendor contracts is essential for mitigating risks.
Dixon emphasized that treating geopolitical disruptions as expected operational variables allows organizations to employ robust enterprise risk management frameworks and cultivate partnerships within government affairs, thereby enhancing preparedness. In collaboration with business units, security teams, and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), CIOs should model scenarios that evaluate the resilience of their IT infrastructure.
Sean Joyce, a global cybersecurity and privacy leader at PwC U.S., highlighted the need for realistic tabletop exercises to assess resilience against over-the-horizon threats. CIOs should ask pertinent questions about redundancy and operational adaptability in response to potential disruptions. This forward planning not only eases panic during transformation but also ensures a balance between rapid AI deployments and governance.
JoAnn Stonier, president of The Cantellus Group, underscored the necessity for executives to have a clear understanding of their brand’s core vision while navigating complex decisions influenced by geopolitical shifts. Additionally, as geopolitical unrest heightens cyber risks, firms must solidify their cybersecurity frameworks, focusing on foundational practices like identity and access controls, multifactor authentication, and continuous monitoring.
Moreover, critical considerations extend to physical infrastructure and energy management. Matt Kelly, chief technology officer at the Global Electronics Association, pointed out that maintaining hardware—essential for data storage—necessitates significant power, particularly when redundancy is factored in. He expressed concerns regarding the capacity of electrical grids amidst increasing demands from technologies like AI, which further exacerbates energy challenges.
Successful CIOs will be those who design resilient systems and teams, enabling operations to withstand various disruptions, including outages and breaches. This requires assessing vendor risk within their ecosystems and implementing mitigating strategies to ensure continuous business functionality. As organizations increasingly face external pressures from geopolitical changes, the ability to maintain effective operations will be paramount.
