To the point: IT security providers are no longer a pure supplier model, but strategic partners in national cyber defense of critical infrastructure against cybercriminals and APT groups.
In the context of national cyber defense, IT security providers no longer function as mere suppliers, but as strategic actors in securing critical infrastructure. This is underscored by Holger Suhl, Country Manager DACH at Eset, given growing threats from cybercriminals and state-sponsored APT groups.
Cybercriminals and advanced attackers (APT) are among the greatest risk factors for critical infrastructure and the defense capabilities of nations. They rely on penetration, data exfiltration and sabotage against systems that are essential for economy, energy, communications and administration.
For CISOs, this situation represents a shift in responsibility: While national cybersecurity agencies coordinate defense from the outside, organizations must internally harden their own systems against these threats. This requires IT security providers to function as knowledge-based partners beyond mere product delivery — with regular threat analysis, incident response capacity and deep understanding of attack vectors.
The central insight: Civil cyber actors, particularly companies in the security industry, are today part of the entire nation’s cyber defense capability. They contribute to making critical infrastructure more resilient and enabling attacks to be detected and repelled early. This has consequences for compliance, procurement and collaboration between private organizations and government institutions.
Source: www.security-insider.de · Published 31 July 2026
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