The Expanding Role of Cyberattacks in Modern Conflicts

Critical Infrastructure Security , Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks , Fraud Management & Cybercrime The Expanding Role of Cyberattacks in Modern Conflicts Defense of Democracies' Mark Montgomery on Warfare Trends, Geopolitical Threats Suparna Goswami (gsuparna) • April 8, 2026     Share Post Share Credit Eligible Get Permission Mark Montgomery, senior director, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Cyber operations now support military strategy rather than just acting alone. Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies warned that as militaries integrate cyber and kinetic action, private sector enterprises are facing greater exposure to geopolitical threats. See Also: Experts Offer Insights from Theoretical to the Realities of AI-enabled Cybercrime That dynamic has emerged in the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. Tehran has used its ability to disrupt U.S. companies through hacktivist groups and smaller threat teams, though Iran's capabilities still fall short of the scale of Russia and China, which have the potential to take down entire sectors. Energy and water systems with weaker defenses face the highest risk, while the financial services sector is more resilient. Leadership gaps drive weak preparedness. Strong defense requires sustained funding, skilled teams and continuous upgrades, Montgomery said. "You have to have a persistent level investment in cyber defense, both when there's a crisis going on and when there's not a crisis. You have to constantly invest in this. You have to always have the right number of people on the team and properly trained," Montgomery said. In this video interview with ISMG, Montgomery also discussed: How cyberattacks can support kinetic military operations; Iran's use of hacktivists and other evolving tactics of nation-state actors; Why leadership decisions shape cyber resilience. Montgomery is senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He develops policies that work to secure national critical infrastructures in cyberspace. As a senior fellow he works with beleaguered democracies such as Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea and Israel. He was previously executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and policy director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under Sen. John McCain.