It's Time to Include Geopolitical Risk in Defense Planning

CyXcel's Megha Kumar on Aligning Enterprise Strategy With Geopolitical Realities Anna Delaney (annamadeline) • July 17, 2025

Geopolitical tensions are no longer limited to headlines or high-level diplomacy. They drive cyber risk, supply chain disruption and regulatory fragmentation. Megha Kumar of CyXcel makes the case for why companies need to take notice and embed geopolitical risks in ongoing enterprise security planning.

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Kumar recommends adopting a geopolitical lens across all risk domains - cybersecurity, compliance, supply chain and reputation - and mapping cross-border exposure to understand where third-party tools, vendors and infrastructure might become liabilities because of state-linked influence, sanctions or conflict.

CISOs should coordinate with legal, HR and operations to assess tolerance for risk in politically volatile jurisdictions and adjust defenses accordingly. Boards need to look beyond the cost of a potential breach and consider which ...