The Undefended Front Line: Rethinking Cyber Coordination in an AI Age

What if the most vulnerable targets in a cyber conflict aren't power plants, military systems, or critical infrastructure?

What if they're the everyday technologies we depend on without a second thought?
In this episode of Tech Transforms, Kurt Sanger, retired U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate, former Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command, and cybersecurity attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, explores what he calls the "undefended front line."

Kurt argues that modern cyber conflict is no longer confined to government networks or battlefield systems. The front line now includes airport parking systems, boarding passes, water utilities, small businesses, and countless interconnected technologies that shape daily life. Because cyber operations can be calibrated to disrupt rather than destroy, adversaries can influence behavior, create uncertainty, and impact society in ways that traditional warfare never could.
The conversation examines why operational coordination—not just information sharing—is becoming essential to national cyber defense, the growing role of public-private collaboration, and whether the United States needs a dedicated Cyber Force to meet evolving threats.
Carolyn and Kurt also tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing organizations today: artificial intelligence. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of accountability, governance, and responsibility become far more complex.

From cyber hygiene and critical infrastructure protection to AI ethics and national security strategy, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how cybersecurity has become everyone's responsibility.

Show Notes:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtsanger
Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation – CSIS
https://www.csis.org
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
https://www.bipc.com
US Cyber Command - https://www.cybercom.mil/
National Security Agency/Central Security Service - https://www.nsa.gov/about/cybersecurity-collaboration-center/