Not every threat comes from a hacker in a hoodie or rogue AI. Sometimes, the danger comes from decisions made in boardrooms and government buildings.
At the NTSC 2025 8th Annual National CISO Policy Conference, cybersecurity leaders sounded the alarm on two quiet moves — both made in the name of profit and policy — that could trigger big consequences in the next 12 months.
And the worst part? There’s no quick fix.
For years, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has served as the federal government’s primary connection to the private sector. With local offices across the country, CISA gave businesses — especially small and mid-sized ones — a trusted partner to turn to when facing cyber threats.
But that’s changing fast.
A reported 20% reduction in CISA’s resources is underway. The administration appears to be shifting its cybersecurity focus from civilian collaboration to military infrastructure, betting on the idea that private enterprise will fill the gap.
But here’s the reality: most businesses don’t have the budget or in-house expertise to handle that.
CISA wasn’t just a resource — it was the only resource many organizations had. It served as an early warning system, a clearinghouse of real-time incidents, and a national voice for practical defense.
Removing that connective tissue means isolation. And isolated organizations are easy targets.
“There’s no profit made in defending every school, small business, and hospital,” one CISO noted. “That’s why we need taxpayer-funded solutions. This is a massive mistake.”
Then there’s NVIDIA, which is now the world’s first $4 trillion company and the center of AI innovation.
Nvidia set fresh sales records, as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company continued to capitalize on strong demand for AI computing power and moved beyond the uncertainty surrounding its business in China.
But the U.S. government has given NVIDIA the green light to sell third-generation AI chips to China. The logic? Give China just enough to buy, while keeping the most cutting-edge tech locked away. Meanwhile, NVIDIA continues to pour profits into U.S. innovation.
Sounds strategic, until you remember who you’re dealing with.
China’s tech ecosystem has a proven track record of reverse-engineering foreign hardware and turning it into domestic weapons — literally and figuratively. And even “outdated” AI chips are lightyears ahead of what most cybersecurity infrastructure is built to handle.
The consensus among security experts? We just handed our most aggressive cyber adversary more fuel.
Together, these two decisions weaken America’s cyber resilience from both ends:
This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s a realistic preparation.
And the implications for CISOs and cybersecurity teams are clear: we’re entering a phase where you are increasingly on your own.
You may not be able to influence federal policy or international tech sales. But you can:
Because if the government is stepping back, you have to step up.
At Aware Force, we’re helping organizations like yours do precisely that. We don’t just track policy and tech trends — we translate them into actionable content your employees understand, remember, and apply.
Whether it’s hard news, employee education, or post-incident communication, we’re the partner cybersecurity teams trust to bridge the gap between strategy and action.
📩 Let’s talk — before 2026 brings the consequences we already see coming.
