Alliance Unveils Zero-Cost Plan To Improve U.S. Cybersecurity
By John P. Mello Jr. — August 26, 2025
The Internet Security Alliance (ISA) has released a plan to strengthen America’s cybersecurity — one that it says will cost the federal government virtually nothing while saving private industry billions. The 21-page report, titled “A Zero Cost Path to American Cybersecurity”, outlines five key recommendations aimed at improving national resilience quickly and sustainably.
1. Cutting Duplicate Regulations
ISA highlights how conflicting and overlapping cybersecurity regulations drain resources. A recent GAO analysis found 45 separate cyber incident reporting requirements across 22 federal agencies, each with its own forms and portals.
Experts argue this regulatory overload forces companies to spend billions on compliance instead of defense. Large financial institutions report their security teams spend 70% of their time on regulatory paperwork, leaving attackers with the advantage.
ISA recommends that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) use its existing authority to streamline or eliminate duplicate rules, freeing billions for threat detection and incident response.
2. Cost-Benefit Analysis for Cyber Regulations
Another recommendation is requiring a cost-benefit analysis for all cybersecurity regulations. Despite trillions spent, little evidence shows these rules measurably improve security.
Critics note that benefits of avoided attacks are hard to quantify, but requiring agencies to model scenarios and test assumptions could lead to smarter, more effective regulation. The danger, experts warn, is that cost-benefit reviews could be weaponized to block necessary safeguards.
3. Modernizing the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA 2015) expires on September 30, 2025, unless reauthorized. The ISA argues that modernization is critical, as the law was written before today’s realities of AI-enabled threats, cloud risks, and supply chain compromises.
Experts propose broadening definitions of shareable data, adding liability protections for companies that share indicators of compromise, and requiring the government to provide actionable threat intelligence back to the private sector in real time.
4. Solving the Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage
The ISA backs the proposed PIVOTT Act, which would fund tuition for cybersecurity training in return for federal service. The program aims to enroll up to 10,000 students annually, closing the government’s workforce gap (estimated at 35,000 positions) in under four years.
Analysts believe this approach — treating cyber talent as a renewable resource and rotating it across agencies — could be more sustainable than today’s siloed pipelines.
Critics, however, emphasize the need for certifications and hands-on training, not just academic coursework, to ensure participants are job-ready.
5. Building a National Cybersecurity Dashboard
The ISA also calls for a national macroeconomic cybersecurity dashboard to track threats, investments, and effectiveness across government. Policymakers currently lack a unified model, making it difficult to measure national cyber health or ROI on billions in spending.
Using the proven NACD-ISA framework — validated by MIT and PwC — could help standardize risk assessments. Organizations applying this model have reported 85% fewer cyber incidents and stronger risk management outcomes. Experts describe it as a “Cyber Dow Jones Index” that tracks structural resilience instead of daily fluctuations.
Conclusion
The ISA’s “Zero Cost Path” emphasizes efficiency and smarter governance: cut redundant rules, modernize laws, invest in talent, and measure progress effectively. While implementation will face political and bureaucratic challenges, the initiatives could transform cybersecurity from a compliance burden into a competitive advantage — securing both the nation’s digital infrastructure and its economic future.
Source: Internet Security Alliance Report, TechNewsWorld
