National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross signaled a shift in the Trump Administration’s approach to digital threats – one defined by transparency, accountability, and consequences, at the Aspen Institute’s forum on cybersecurity.

Previewing the forthcoming National Cybersecurity Strategy, Cairncross emphasized that deterring malicious activity begins with exposing it and the U.S. intends to share more about adversarial behavior and act swiftly to impose real costs on those who undermine American interests in cyberspace. With artificial intelligence amplifying the threat landscape and ransomware remaining a persistent menace, the Administration’s message was clear: cybersecurity is no longer a reactive exercise but a proactive campaign to shape adversary behavior through coordinated federal action and strengthened industry partnership.

In a conversation with former CEO of Mandiant Kevin Mandia and Aspen Digital’s Sasha O’Connell, Cairncross emphasized that the strategy will guide agencies through shared policy objectives rather than prescriptive mandates. Its top priority will be shaping adversarial behavior: imposing real costs on malicious actors through sustained, collective action. Supporting concepts will include workforce preparedness, public-private collaboration, and regulatory harmonization, reflecting a whole-of-nation approach to cyber defense.

Shaping adversarial behavior, Cairncross noted, requires redefining how the United States responds to threat actors. Under this strategy, deterrence will move beyond symbolic sanctions and toward meaningful, enforceable consequences. A more coherent regulatory landscape also enables private-sector partners to contribute directly to national resilience. Together, these shifts mark a transition from policy planning to operational performance, helping to position the U.S. at the forefront of global cyberspace.

Shaping Adversarial Behavior

In addition to the forthcoming national cybersecurity strategy, the Summit spotlighted several themes that will shape how the U.S. approaches cyber policy in practice. One of the most charged conversations centered on offensive cyber operations — a topic that directly influences how the U.S. plans to shape adversarial behavior.

Across government and industry, leaders agreed that defense alone is no longer enough. Years of focusing on defense have allowed threat actors to operate with little cost, the next phase must ratchet up the consequences, according to former acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden. For example, the FBI is already executing joint operations that pair indictments, arrests, and infrastructure takedowns to deliver real-world impact, actions driven by intelligence from victims and industry partners. 

The rest of the panel emphasized that effective offense depends on trust and risk tolerance: information sharing must move beyond passive reporting to coordinated action, particularly with the cloud and infrastructure providers who control much of today’s digital battlefield.

Together, these insights reflect a growing consensus that shaping adversarial behavior requires more than strong defenses — it demands coordinated, intelligence-driven action that raises the cost for attackers and leverages deep public-private trust to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Workforce

Cairncross highlighted forthcoming initiatives related to the cybersecurity workforce, specifically, closing the workforce gap through innovation and incentives. The need to address the nearly 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs nationwide, and harnessing the “things that make America great,” rallying the people who want to serve and infusing that energy with cyber, he said. This will involve uniting existing authorities and appropriations under one strategy. 

ONCD’s workforce initiatives will focus on aligning incentives among industry, academia, vocational programs, and venture capital. He cited Israel's cyber workforce model as inspiration, particularly how they leverage market incentives and venture capital funding in the startup ecosystem. 

Lines of effort will include expanding pilot programs at national labs to test emerging technologies, including engagement with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Department of Education (DOE), and the Department of War (DOW). Industry can expect deliverables to be tied to workforce initiatives in the cyber strategy’s action plan, Cairncross remarked. 

AI and Energy

The U.S. is entering a pivotal moment: a dual buildout of AI and energy infrastructure that will define both national competitiveness and resilience for decades. As Dean Ball, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation noted, every technological revolution leaves behind physical infrastructure; this one must produce durable national assets, not just data centers. That means expanding capacity rapidly while embedding security by design, from supply chains to grid operations. 

Speakers highlighted core tensions shaping this challenge: balancing speed with security, centralization with local control, and domestic innovation with global supply-chain risks. AI’s growing role in both cyber offense and defense will only amplify the energy demands for secure, trustworthy infrastructure. 

These conversations are consistent with the White House AI Action Plan that was released in July 2025. The plan calls for integrating AI development with investments in robust energy systems, privacy-preserving security architectures, and public-sector capacity building. It also emphasizes using federal coordination to promote responsible AI innovation, safeguard critical infrastructure, and accelerate energy architecture enhancement through AI-enabled tools. 

Success depends on close federal–state collaboration, smarter permitting, and risk-informed decision-making that unites diverse technologies under a shared goal: build fast, but build safely.

State and Local Government Cybersecurity 

As the federal government shifts more responsibility in the cyber realm to the states, strong state and local leadership and policies will become increasingly important. Programs such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program are both in uncertain times, with funding and support shifting. Given these changes, states will need to promote internal programs that raise the cybersecurity level from within, rather than relying on federal support.

In a panel featuring success stories at the state and local government levels, anticipated challenges, and future plans for dealing with cyber threats at different levels of government, panelists showed why states need to start preparing now. In Texas, Vice Admiral White described a comprehensive plan to grow the newly established Cyber Command built on data privacy, protection of government systems, and partnerships with “covered entities” that subscribe to the state’s cyber infrastructure. 

For the Cherokee Nation, Paula Starr outlined an increasingly expanding mission that now includes cyber and AI education to protect both citizens and workforce. New Jersey’s Michael Geraghty showcased a mature, interagency coordination that treats cybersecurity as a good that benefits all taxpayers in the state.

Together, they pointed to a future where cyber resilience depends not on federal directives, but on local leadership and cross-sector partnership.

Conclusion

Cairncross and the rest of the speakers at the Aspen Cyber Summit underscored a pivotal transition in America’s cyber strategy. This strategy will be defined by proactive defense, unified purpose, and shared responsibility. From shaping adversarial behavior at the federal level to strengthening state and local resilience, the message was clear: cybersecurity is a collective endeavor. 

Success will depend not only on new technologies or policies, but on sustained collaboration across government, industry, and academia. As the nation enters an era where digital threats evolve quickly, the United States must evolve past strategy and into action.