Mapping the invisible: Geopolitical analysis as a cybersecurity tool

Behind every cyberattack lies an actor, whether state-sponsored, criminal, or hacktivist, driven by interests that are often divergent and sometimes conflicting. Yet cyber risk is still too often approached through a purely technical lens, detached from the strategic contexts in which threats emerge. This talk argues that geopolitical analysis, applied to cyberspace at multiple scales, offers security professionals a way to grasp the “big picture” of cyber risk. Central to our approach is the idea of a continuum: cyberspace does not exist in the ether. Data flows, infrastructures, and information campaigns are anchored in physical places, jurisdictions, and territories. Bringing this materiality to light makes cyber threats easier to understand and, crucially, to anticipate