The rise of proactive cyber: Why defense is no longer enough
The rise of proactive cyber: Why defense is no longer enough
Publish Date: 2026-04-07 05:07:00
Source Domain: www.csoonline.com
For more than two decades, cybersecurity has been built on a reactive model: detect intrusions, patch vulnerabilities, respond to incidents, and repeat. That model is now under sustained pressure from a threat environment that is faster, more coordinated, and increasingly automated.
Two recent developments illustrate how quickly that model is breaking down. Earlier this month, the White House released its long-awaited cyber strategy that elevates proactive or offensive cybersecurity to the top of its priorities. At this year’s RSA Conference, Sandra Joyce, who leads Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, unveiled the company’s threat disruption unit, outlining plans to use legal authorities and technical capabilities to thwart cyber threat groups actively.
Together, these developments reflect a shift already under way — from purely defensive models toward efforts to disrupt adversaries before attacks reach their targets.
