Made To Measure

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The Challenge

Cyber policy has become increasingly decentralized. Responsibility is now spread across the Federal government, state and local governments, NGO’s, and private-sector. This structure can only succeed if all entities are measuring the same things. A whole-of-nation approach to cyber requires all of us to share a common set of metrics, which means we need a consensus on what matters and how we measure it. Failure to do so makes it nearly impossible to understand if all of our efforts are harmonized towards the common good.

Developing metrics to track progress isn’t an option, but a foundational necessity. Metrics bring together parties with different experiences and priorities under a commonly agreed-upon set of goals. Done right, they can link cybersecurity policy towards measurable outputs connected to both national security and the economy, and move us towards a policy agenda that actually helps solve the problems that people care about.

Our Solution

Aspen Digital has commissioned members of our US Cybersecurity Group and other leaders in government and industry to share their views on building a national agenda for cyber metrics, including:

  • Thinking strategically – Building a national cyber metrics dashboard to understand the true state of cybersecurity.
  • Bringing light to unseen challenges – Using metrics to highlight understated problems such as the vulnerabilities present in end-of-life software.
  • Providing practical analysis – Using existing data sources to see the current state of national cybersecurity.
  • Getting the right data – How to enlist the private-sector, such as the hyperscalers, in providing the data needed to build the right metrics.

This series is meant to stimulate debate on what building a national metrics program for cybersecurity ought to look like. The writings reflect the multiple elements that would be needed to build a truly aligned and strategic approach to cyber policy.

Read the Series

The Case for a National Cyber Metrics Dashboard

Governments must work to develop national cyber metrics for cybersecurity to better inform decision-makers and allocate resources effectively.

February 11, 2026