Government agencies prioritize digital sovereignty and Zero Trust security

Government agencies are increasingly prioritizing digital sovereignty and Zero Trust security frameworks to combat rising geopolitical instability and cybersecurity threats. According to the GAO High Risk report, the Department of Defense has faced over 12,000 cyber incidents since 2015, driving the need for strategies that verify every user, device, and application rather than granting automatic trust.

To establish a Zero Trust foundation in the cloud, organizations are focusing on protecting identities through least-privilege access and visibility into permissions. This includes identifying high-privilege identities and preventing lateral movement within environments. Additionally, protecting devices through complete visibility across cloud environments remains a critical component of these security postures.

Research from the Capgemini Research Institute indicates that digital sovereignty has become a strategic leadership imperative. A majority of public sector leaders expressed concern that over-dependence on foreign technology providers creates significant digital resilience risks. Consequently, 90% of surveyed government leaders have discussed digital sovereignty at the board level, with 44% identifying it as a top priority to ensure control over critical infrastructure and services.