Outsourcing critical IT and cybersecurity once looked like a shortcut to efficiency. Today, it is a shortcut to systemic fragility.
Breaches at one vendor now cascade across hundreds of organizations. A corporate decision framed as a cost-saving measure can trigger risks that extend across industries, even nations. The SolarWinds breach showed how a compromised supplier became a launchpad for global espionage. The MOVEit breach exposed how a single vulnerability could compromise sensitive data across governments, banks, and schools.
If you sit on a board, lead a cyber function, or regulate markets, you can no longer treat outsourcing as a local concern. It is a systemic risk. Left ungoverned, outsourcing can magnify operational weaknesses, fuel cybercrime, and expose firms to geopolitical pressure. Left unchecked, it poses a threat to global economic security.
