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The public sector’s cybersecurity blind spot: Why data exposure is the real threat

By Simon Pamlin, CTO, Certes

Simon Pamlin

Cyber threats to the UK public sector are escalating. From local councils and NHS trusts to education providers and policing bodies, public services are being stretched not just by limited budgets and ageing infrastructure but also by a rising tide of cyberattacks that exploit those weaknesses.

While ransomware and phishing grab the headlines, the biggest long-term risk isn’t necessarily the breach itself. It’s what happens after the breach: when sensitive data is exposed, exfiltrated, and exploited, often without anyone even realising until it’s too late.

We need to reframe the conversation. The public sector’s blind spot is no longer malware; it’s data exposure, and the looming threat of quantum computing will only widen that gap unless urgent action is taken.

The real threat isn’t entry — it’s exposure

Most public sector cyber strategies still focus on keeping attackers out. Firewalls, intrusion detection, and endpoint protection are all necessary, but increasingly insufficient. Threat actors are finding ways in, often via third-party suppliers, misconfigured cloud services, or social engineering attacks that bypass even the best defences.

The truth is, a determined attacker will get in. The critical question is: what happens when they do?

In too many cases, the answer is simple — they help themselves to vast volumes of unprotected, sensitive data. Medical records, housing applications, safeguarding reports, benefits claims — the crown jewels of our digital public services — all sitting on servers without adequate data-layer protection.

This isn’t hypothetical. The NHS ransomware attack in 2022 exposed critical patient data. Several councils have faced data breaches linked to supplier vulnerabilities. The public sector is a goldmine for cybercriminals, and right now, we’re making their job far too easy.

The Quantum clock is ticking

Add to this the quantum computing threat, and the picture becomes even more alarming.

Quantum computers, once operational at scale, will be capable of breaking today’s widely used encryption standards. That means encrypted data stolen today can be stored and decrypted in the future — a strategy already being adopted by sophisticated threat actors in what’s known as “harvest now, decrypt later” campaigns.

This delayed detonation threat puts public sector organisations on the frontline. Data that seems safe today because it’s encrypted may be completely exposed in five, ten, or fifteen years. And let’s be clear: councils and NHS trusts hold precisely the kind of long-term, high-sensitivity data that adversaries are targeting.

If the public sector continues to delay action, it is effectively sleepwalking into a quantum-fuelled data breach crisis.

Time to prioritise Data Protection and Risk Mitigation (DPRM)

We need to stop thinking of cybersecurity as an exercise in perimeter control. The real battlefield is data itself. That’s where public sector strategy must evolve with Data Protection and Risk Mitigation (DPRM) at the core.

DPRM is a forward-thinking, data-centric approach that:

  • Protects sensitive data comprehensively, not just at rest but in transit and in use
  • Implements access controls based on context and risk, not just static permissions
  • Reduces the impact of a breach by rendering stolen data inaccessible and unusable
  • And crucially, prepares for a quantum future, using quantum-safe encryption standards to protect data beyond today’s threats.

Unlike large-scale IT overhauls, DPRM doesn’t require the public sector to rip and replace legacy systems. It’s a layered, complementary strategy that can be introduced across existing infrastructure (cloud or on-prem) and scaled at pace.

This is data protection that adapts to real-world constraints: tight budgets, hybrid working, and fragmented systems. DPRM is about resilience through visibility and control, not complexity and cost.

Budget challenges are no justification for inaction

Yes, public sector budgets are under enormous pressure. But when weighed against the costs of a breach — reputational damage, regulatory fines, service disruption, and legal claims — investing in proactive data protection becomes not just justifiable, but essential.

The reality is that the cost of recovering from a breach is almost always higher than the cost of preventing one. And with GDPR, FOI, and other compliance requirements in force, failing to safeguard citizen data isn’t just risky, it’s unlawful.

DPRM allows organisations to demonstrate accountability, improve audit readiness, and maintain public trust, all while protecting the data that underpins modern service delivery. 

This is a leadership moment

The public sector has shown remarkable innovation over the last decade, from open data to digital services, from AI in local government to cloud-first NHS policies. But cybersecurity has to catch up.

It’s time to be bold. Data is the lifeblood of our public services. Failing to protect it is not an option, especially when the solutions are available, proven, and designed to work within existing operational constraints.

Public sector leaders must act now to:

  1. Acknowledge the data exposure threat — it’s already happening, and quantum will make it worse
  2. Prioritise DPRM as a foundational capability, not a “nice to have”
  3. Act now, not later,  because the data being stolen today could be your organisation’s future crisis.

Let’s stop patching up the perimeter and start protecting what really matters. Let’s make data protection a pillar of public sector resilience now, and for the quantum-powered future ahead.

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