Cyber security experts Emily Harding, Caleb Withers, Elad Yoran, and Andrew Reddie argue that key threats to U.S. national security are frequently overlooked despite growing risks from criminal groups, adversarial states, and extremists.
One major blind spot is the murky relationship between governments and hacking collectives. Harding notes that the Trump administration’s 2026 memorandum on transnational cyber-enabled crime attempts to draw clear lines for offensive operations, but the distinction between state-controlled and independent hackers remains dangerously vague. Russia’s spectrum of ties to cybercriminals—from direct control to loose affiliations—exemplifies the challenge, potentially incentivizing adversaries like China to formalize such partnerships.
Withers warns that AI could accelerate offensive cyber capabilities faster than defensive measures, favoring exploitation over mitigation. The experts stress that without clearer conventions and stronger intelligence on state affiliations, industry involvement in cyber defense risks stalling amid legal ambiguity.
The analysis underscores the need for sharper policy tools to address evolving cyber threats before they outpace current frameworks.
