Beyond Technology

The Seven Organic Forces Redefining Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is no longer (just) a technological issue. It is now evident that risks no longer stem solely from software vulnerabilities or outdated devices. The real threats emerge from the broader contexts in which technology is embedded: political dynamics, economic instability, social tensions, energy crises, and disinformation campaigns.

Seven Fronts of Risk

According to Gartner’s analysis, the threats on the horizon can be traced back to seven systemic forces, which Gartner refers to as the “tapestry” of risk (quote: “Threats could come from all areas of what Gartner refers to as ‘tapestry’ — technological, political, economic, social, trust, regulatory, and environmental.”).

These are:

1. Technological – The Illusion of Best-of-Breed

The fragmented adoption of dozens of specialised tools — each with its own interface and logic — is, in practice, more of a hindrance than an asset. On average, a SOC team manages more than 40 security tools, resulting in operational inefficiencies, increased human error, and a lack of unified visibility. The trend favours those who choose integrated platforms capable of breaking down data silos and accelerating incident response.

2. Political – The End of Shared Intelligence

Geopolitical fragmentation and the cooling of historic alliances are eroding trust between nations. Cyber threat intelligence, once the preserve of stable government partnerships, is increasingly shifting toward the private sector and new regional actors (notably in Europe and the Middle East). Identifying the source of threat intelligence — once a marginal concern — has now become essential.

3. Economic – Uncertainty Slows Investment

Trade wars, new tariffs, regulatory instability, and market volatility are prompting many organisations to delay investments, including those in cybersecurity. But postponing today means exposing oneself tomorrow — and within this geopolitical and economic climate, such a delay is a strategic misstep.

4. Social – Security Perceived as Intrusion

The changing relationship between employees and organisations — influenced by remote working, mental health awareness, and work–life balance — has led to security controls being increasingly viewed as intrusive. Rethinking policies through a human-centric lens — transparent, empathetic, and intuitive — could shift the paradigm, boosting adoption otherwise hindered by internal resistance.

5. Trust – The New Attack Surface Is Narrative

A single narrative attack can cost a company up to 25% of its stock value. Deepfakes, social bots, and coordinated disinformation campaigns are no longer targeting infrastructure and data alone, but reputations. Cross-departmental collaboration to monitor, analyse, and respond to hostile narratives is now a strategic asset.

6. Regulatory – Compliance as Operational Overload

The introduction of regulations such as NIS2 and DORA has propelled CISOs into leading roles in compliance projects, consuming time and energy at the expense of operational security tasks. Intelligent integration of compliance into existing governance forums — along with greater automation — is needed to ensure that the pursuit of compliance does not come at the cost of infrastructure security.

7. Environmental – The Threat of the Energy Crisis

The growing adoption of new technologies, led by AI , is placing unprecedented strain on the power grid. Blackouts and voltage drops already pose a risk capable of delaying critical incident responses. Energy dependency must now be factored in as a technological risk within business continuity plans

The Strategic Role of Cybersecurity Leaders

In recent years, the role of cybersecurity leaders has changed dramatically , evolving from technically skilled professionals with leadership capabilities into multidisciplinary figures involved in supplier management (including cyber aspects), crisis communication, staff training, and regulatory compliance. The skillset now required goes far beyond blocking an attack; it involves anticipating its origin — even when that origin lies in a macroeconomic trend, a legislative change, or a viral post.

Not Just Attacks — But Transformative Dynamics

The seven forces described are not attack vectors in the technical sense, but transformative dynamics.

Addressing them demands a cultural evolution in security: less focused on technology in isolation, and more attuned to the context in which that technology operates.
The future of security will be systemic, collaborative, and flexible.

And above all, deeply human.
In this scenario, Agger offers a tangible and practical response:
✓ A single platform to collect, correlate, and analyse security events
✓ Behavioural models to detect weak signals
✓ Contextual enrichment to distinguish noise from real risk exposure
✓ An architecture natively designed for IT/OT resilience

This isn’t about adding yet another tool.
It’s about seeing more clearly, sooner, and with greater precision.
We build defence strategies that match the complexity in which we operate.

This article references the Gartner report titled “Cybersecurity Turbulence in 2025: 7 Forces That Will Threaten Your Organisation”