Counting on US Government Cybersecurity to Protect Your Business?
Guess Again.
Despite record high cybersecurity breaches and 2025 cybercrime losses approaching $10 trillion globally, many small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) still fail to implement basic cybersecurity best practices. One persistent myth in the SMB world is the belief that U.S. government cybersecurity efforts will protect your business. Unfortunately, that belief does not match the reality of the current cyber landscape.
The Struggle Is Real
Being a cybersecurity professional is challenging even under ideal conditions. Long hours and burnout are common and are often compared to the pressures faced by air traffic controllers. New pressures within federal cybersecurity roles are compounding industry wide challenges.
U.S. federal cybersecurity agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other departments, have gone through workforce reshuffling and hiring freezes that raise questions about long term national cybersecurity readiness. Continued attrition and unfilled positions, especially in leadership roles, mean the federal cybersecurity workforce remains under strain.
Workforce Shortages and Turnover
A significant cybersecurity workforce shortage remains a problem across both public and private sectors. A 2025 study from ISC2 estimates that the global cybersecurity workforce is still short millions of professionals. This gap contributes to vulnerabilities across networks and services.
Open positions in federal cyber roles and high turnover create additional uncertainty about who is defending U.S. digital infrastructure.
U.S. Cybersecurity Policy and Priorities in 2026
Federal Cyber Workforce Challenges
In 2026, federal cybersecurity recruitment and retention remain unresolved issues. High skill cyber professionals can command premium compensation in the private sector, leading many government experts to transition to industry roles where salaries and job stability are often more predictable.
Although agencies like CISA continue to advocate for stronger cyber defenses, staffing challenges affect the pace and depth of implementation for new initiatives.
National Cybersecurity Strategy
The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy emphasized public and private collaboration in defending critical infrastructure and improving information sharing. However, the strategy also makes clear that the primary responsibility for cyber risk management lies with individual organizations, not the federal government.
This reinforces that SMBs cannot rely on federal cybersecurity actions to protect their operations.
CISA’s Role in 2026
CISA continues to focus on coordination, guidance, and ecosystem level defense. It provides threat intelligence and cybersecurity resources, but its mandate is not to directly protect individual companies.
Similarly, the National Institute of Standards and Technology offers frameworks and guidance such as the Cybersecurity Framework Version 2.0. These resources are voluntary and advisory and require businesses to take action themselves.
Private Sector Impacts
Federal shifts in cybersecurity staffing and policy have downstream effects on the private sector.
Fewer federal cyber defenders can slow threat intelligence sharing. Government guidance is often high level, leaving execution to individual organizations. Resource constrained SMBs may be left with limited support unless they invest in internal or external cybersecurity expertise.
Even before recent policy changes, private sector cybersecurity budgets and staffing were frequently insufficient. These gaps can leave companies with unpatched systems or understaffed security teams, conditions that attackers actively exploit.
Burnout within cybersecurity teams increases workload pressure and makes consistent execution of cybersecurity controls more difficult.
What Can You Do?
Relying on government action alone is not a cybersecurity strategy. With attackers increasingly targeting SMBs through phishing, ransomware, and supply chain attacks, organizations must take proactive steps.
Assess Your Cyber Risks
A cyber risk assessment is the foundation of effective cybersecurity. It helps you understand where your organization is well protected and where vulnerabilities exist. Assessments also support regulatory compliance and cyber insurance underwriting.
Remediate Your Risks
Once risks are identified, businesses should implement pragmatic solutions such as:
Awareness and training programs
Remote monitoring and management tools
Endpoint detection and response solutions
Password and access control systems
Secure remote access and VPNs
These cybersecurity controls directly address risks uncovered during an assessment.
Address Third Party Risks
Your vendors, partners, and suppliers are part of your cyber ecosystem. Weak security practices on their side can expose your business. Encouraging them to assess their risks and adopt baseline controls is increasingly important.
Third party risk management is now a common regulatory expectation and a frequent cyber insurance requirement.
Seek Appropriate Cyber Insurance Coverage
Cyber insurance can help with breach response, legal costs, and recovery efforts. Eligibility often requires documented risk assessments and the implementation of cybersecurity best practices.
A stronger security posture can also lead to better coverage terms and pricing.
Do Not Wait for Someone Else to Protect You
Cybersecurity risk continues to rise. Federal agencies provide valuable guidance and intelligence, but they do not replace the need for organization specific cybersecurity programs.
The responsibility for protecting your business ultimately lies with you. Taking proactive steps such as conducting a cyber risk assessment, addressing vulnerabilities, and building resilience will significantly reduce your exposure.
tekrisq: work with us
tekrisq helps small and mid-sized businesses understand application security as part of a broader, risk-based cybersecurity strategy.
Rather than focusing only on tools, tekrisq evaluates how applications are built, deployed, and maintained. Application security risks are often uncovered during a vulnerability assessment, helping organizations prioritize remediation based on real-world impact.
Learn more about tekrisq and how we support organizations:
To discuss your information security posture or schedule a consultation.
