Nadya Bartol

Artificial intelligence is increasing both the clockspeed of organizations and the cyber risks they face. Anthropic’s unreleased model, Claude Mythos, which uses advanced reasoning to find vulnerabilities that have escaped detection for decades, should be a wake-up call. How can companies take advantage of AI’s promise without falling victim to its risks?

Cybersecurity is more than a technical necessity. For state and local governments in the US, it’s a cornerstone of public trust. Citizens increasingly expect online public-sector services, such as renewing a driver’s license or applying for Medicaid, to match the seamless, secure experiences delivered by leading private-sector companies. Yet, in BCG’s 2024 Digital Government Citizen Survey, 74% of respondents said they have faced problems accessing government services over the past two years.

In today’s digital-first world, businesses rely on technology for virtually everything they do. But digital innovations, such as AI, often outpace the measures companies take to safeguard their systems and respond to disruptions. Many organizations still approach cybersecurity and IT disruptions as isolated technical failures rather than as fundamental business risks.