{"id":9969,"date":"2025-07-10T09:11:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=9969"},"modified":"2025-07-10T09:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:11:48","slug":"the-public-sectors-cybersecurity-blind-spot-why-data-exposure-is-the-real-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=9969","title":{"rendered":"The public sector\u2019s cybersecurity blind spot: Why data exposure is the real threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Simon Pamlin, CTO, Certes<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Simon Pamlin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While ransomware and phishing grab the headlines, the biggest long-term risk isn\u2019t necessarily the breach itself. It\u2019s what happens after<\/em> the breach: when sensitive data is exposed, exfiltrated, and exploited, often without anyone even realising until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to reframe the conversation. The public sector\u2019s blind spot is no longer malware; it\u2019s data exposure, and the looming threat of quantum computing will only widen that gap unless urgent action is taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The real threat isn\u2019t entry \u2014 it\u2019s exposure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, a determined attacker will<\/em> get in. The critical question is: what happens when they do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In too many cases, the answer is simple \u2014 they help themselves to vast volumes of unprotected, sensitive data. Medical records, housing applications, safeguarding reports, benefits claims \u2014 the crown jewels of our digital public services \u2014 all sitting on servers without adequate data-layer protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t hypothetical. The NHS ransomware attack in 2022<\/a> 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\u2019re making their job far too easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The Quantum clock is ticking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Add to this the quantum computing threat, and the picture becomes even more alarming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantum computers, once operational at scale, will be capable of breaking today\u2019s widely used encryption standards. That means encrypted data stolen today can be stored and decrypted in the future \u2014 a strategy already being adopted by sophisticated threat actors in what\u2019s known as \u201charvest now, decrypt later\u201d campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This delayed detonation threat puts public sector organisations on the frontline. Data that seems safe today because it\u2019s encrypted may be completely exposed in five, ten, or fifteen years. And let\u2019s be clear: councils and NHS trusts hold precisely the kind of long-term, high-sensitivity data that adversaries are targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the public sector continues to delay action, it is effectively sleepwalking into a quantum-fuelled data breach crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Time to prioritise Data Protection and Risk Mitigation (DPRM)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We need to stop thinking of cybersecurity as an exercise in perimeter control. The real battlefield is data itself. That\u2019s where public sector strategy must evolve with Data Protection and Risk Mitigation (DPRM) at the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DPRM is a forward-thinking, data-centric approach that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n