Dan Lohrmann is reaching out to government Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and other technology executives, including CTOs, CIOs, CFOs, COOs, and even corporate CEOs. In his latest article for Government Technology, he emphasizes the need to rethink our cybersecurity language.
Lohrmann, a well-known expert in cybersecurity, urges leaders to place greater emphasis on topics such as financial fraud, AI-generated scams, citizen trust, due diligence, government reputation, identity protection, cybercrime, data integrity, and AI solutions. He suggests reducing the focus on technical jargon like hacking, zero-day exploits, critical network vulnerabilities, and next-generation firewalls.
But why is this shift necessary?
Lohrmann points out that many state and local government security leaders are currently grappling with challenges such as budget cuts, staffing shortages, hiring freezes, and limited grant opportunities. These issues often hinder their ability to present a strong case for necessary cybersecurity investments.
To support his argument, Lohrmann references a report from Cybersecurity Ventures published in Cybercrime Magazine. This report reveals significant predictions and market data that government leaders should consider: by 2026, the world is projected to spend $522 billion on cybersecurity products and services; cybercrime is expected to cost the global economy $10.5 trillion annually in 2025, a dramatic increase from $3 trillion in 2015; and the United States alone spends over $25 billion on cybersecurity each year.
As AI-enabled cyberattacks reached a critical tipping point in 2025, new vital questions have arisen in 2026 for CxOs about how well-prepared organizations are to safeguard essential data, systems, networks, and more.
