Presented by Gartner

Artificial intelligence has changed the cybersecurity conversation for government leaders. For Darin Brumby, Group Vice President, Americas Service Delivery at Gartner, the central issue is not simply that agencies have another technology to adopt. It is that AI is reshaping the speed, scale, and complexity of risk itself.

Brumby explains that Gartner’s work with senior government and C-level executives focuses on helping leaders solve mission-critical priorities in ways that deliver measurable value. In today’s environment, those priorities increasingly sit at the intersection of cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, budget optimization, and artificial intelligence. Attackers are already using AI with malicious intent, which means government security teams must become more proactive, more strategic, and better equipped to answer not only today’s questions, but tomorrow’s as well.

That shift is forcing agencies to elevate governance, risk management, and cost optimization. Brumby argues that good governance is good business, especially as AI changes how quickly technology risk can become mission risk, reputational risk, or public trust risk. In the past, an IT project risk might have been contained within a technical environment. Now, the speed of AI can move that risk across an enterprise in seconds.

Budget optimization is also becoming more than a cost-cutting exercise. Brumby frames it as a way to fund innovation. Agencies must use resources wisely, but they also need room to invest in AI-driven opportunities that could improve health and human services, citizen safety, national defense, and other mission areas. That balance between discipline and innovation is becoming one of the defining leadership challenges in government technology.

Brumby also points to geopolitical uncertainty as part of the new normal. External pressures, internal constraints, emerging threat actors, and rapid technology change are converging at once. His message is direct: agencies cannot go it alone. Leaders need trusted partners, tested strategies, and rigorous planning to ensure that their cybersecurity posture can withstand the environment they are operating in.

One of the bright spots, Brumby says, is the rapid pace of AI adoption across government. In some cases, he sees government AI maturity advancing faster than in the private sector because the mission is clear and the urgency is real. He also pushes back on the idea that innovation only comes from industry. Government has strengths the private sector can learn from, including strong governance, disciplined execution, clear mission alignment, and agility under constraints.

As agencies confront the expanding attack surface, Brumby’s message is that planning has become more important than ever. Successful leaders must spend more time aligning governance, strategy, risk, and execution before they move. In the age of AI, cybersecurity leadership is no longer just about defending systems. It is about building the confidence, partnerships, and operating models needed to execute the mission in a world where the pace of change will not slow down.

Key Takeaways

• AI is changing the speed and scope of cyber risk, forcing agencies to rethink governance, risk management, and leadership execution.
• Budget optimization should help agencies fund innovation, not simply reduce spending.
• Government has important innovation strengths, including mission clarity, disciplined governance, and strong execution under pressure.