Practical Cyber Solutions for Managing Government Supply Chains

Public sector digital infrastructures face unprecedented and rapidly evolving threats. As government agencies work to secure complex, interconnected supply chains, the stakes for mission continuity, resilience, and public trust have never been higher. This new report, Practical Cyber Solutions for Managing Government Supply Chains, by Dr. Robert Handfield with North Carolina State University, offers a timely and actionable roadmap for strengthening Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM) across government.

Drawing on insights from a highlevel roundtable hosted by the IBM Center for The Business of Government and the National Academy of Public Administration, the report brings together experts from government, industry, and academia. Their discussions reflected a shared perspective that agencies can move beyond compliance-oriented approaches and embrace outcomedriven, secure-by-design practices that reduce risk, accelerate mitigation, and reinforce continuity of essential services.

Drawing on real-world experience, this report outlines practical steps the government can take to improve resilience—such as standing up centers of excellence, integrating risk-based cybersecurity measures, deploying AI-enabled diagnostics and remediation, and enhancing multi-tier supplier operations. These recommendations make clear that progress can emerge from an integrated strategy combining governance, metrics, automation, procurement levers, and cultural change.

This report builds on the IBM Center’s longstanding commitment to advancing research at the intersection of technology, risk management, and public sector performance. Reports include Enabling a More Resilient and Shared Supply Chain Strategy for the Nation: Lessons Learned from COVID- 19, The Key to Modern Governmental Supply Chain Practice: Analytical Technology Innovation, and Improving Government Decision Making through Enterprise Risk Management.

As agencies confront increasingly sophisticated adversaries, the guidance in this report provides leaders with a clear framework for action. By adopting the practices outlined here, government can strengthen operational readiness, protect essential services, and reinforce trust in the systems upon which the public depends. The analysis and recommendations presented by Professor Handfield—based on expert insights from the roundtable—offer strategic imperatives for applying cybersecurity for supply chain risk management across the public sector, and a practical path forward for building a more secure and resilient digital future.