I've spent the past few weeks pondering how to help folks that are part of my primary professional tribe (cybersecurity) frame what's been happening in America since January 20, 2025. The vast majority of Americans — including those who work in cybersecurity — have only marginal awareness of what is truly happening to our fragile liberal democratic republic. Hopefully, this framing will help draw attention to the legitimate crisis at hand, and spur some folks into action.
Democracy depends on multiple layers of protection, much like computer systems and networks rely on various security measures. When these protections fail one by one, the entire system becomes vulnerable. The following parallels will hopefully offer useful insights for citizens concerned about democratic institutions.
Constitutional Safeguards: The First Line of Defense
Our democracy's first layer of protection comes from constitutional checks and balances. Recent developments have severely weakened this layer:
- The Supreme Court's expanded view of presidential immunity has reduced judicial oversight
- The "unitary executive" theory has enabled aggressive agency restructuring without proper checks
- A 6-3 Supreme Court majority has increasingly deferred to executive power
When constitutional guardrails are reinterpreted or ignored, it resembles a firewall being disabled (or, using some tech from Ivanti in your perimeter)—leaving critical systems exposed.
Institutional Integrity: The Second Layer
Government institutions filled with experienced civil servants form the next layer of protection. These institutions have been systematically undermined through:
- Targeted staff reductions in oversight agencies
- Legal threats against law firms representing opposition voices
- Replacement of career officials with political loyalists
This mirrors how attackers target security monitoring systems to prevent detection of their activities. We, in essence, are losing our XDR agents.
Cultural Foundations: The Final Defense
The last line of defense is our shared commitment to liberal democratic values and professional ethics. This layer faces serious challenges:
- Prioritizing loyalty over competence and legal principles
- Creating organizational cultures where dissent is punished
- Replacing expertise with ideological compliance
Even strong institutions fail when the people within them are pressured to ignore problems or bypass safeguards.
What Can We Do? A Practical Approach
The good news is that we can, in fact, apply some security principles to strengthen what remains of our democracy:
1. Document Everything
Record policy changes, unusual directives, and potential abuses of power. When systems are under attack, evidence preservation becomes crucial. This is the main reason I started 47 Watch.
Ghostarchive, Archive Today, or a local installation of ArchiveBox each makes preservation pretty straightforward. "Local first", or using non-U.S.-based archiving services are the best options, since there will no doubt be attempts to dismantle such domestic services.
2. Protect Information Channels
Support secure communication methods for whistleblowers and journalists. Democracy depends on the free flow of accurate information. "
Communicating securely with sources | Democracy Toolkit" has some excellent resources.
3. Advocate for Structural Reforms
Push for laws that limit concentrated power and enhance transparency. No single individual should have unlimited authority over critical systems.
This means contacting local, state, and federal representatives on a regular basis, and — perhaps — running for office
4. Create Backup Systems
Support organizations that independently track government data, from environmental statistics to voting records. Redundancy matters when official sources become compromised.
ProPublica and GovTrack are just two of many source to start with.
5. Build Local Resilience
Strengthen state and local democratic institutions. When federal protections weaken, these become essential fallback positions.
There are only ~21 states left that support democracy. Encourage your representatives when they take active, positive measures and become part of volunteer efforts that shore up members of the community.
The Bigger Picture
Democracy, like cybersecurity, isn't about perfect protection—it's about resilient systems that can withstand attacks. No single safeguard is enough, but together, we can rebuild multiple layers into a more robust defense.
The skills that maintain network security—identifying vulnerabilities, designing redundant systems, and verifying information—are increasingly relevant to civic engagement. The principle is the same: trust requires verification, and protection requires vigilance.
By understanding these parallels, we can rebuild and better protect our democratic systems against the tactics that undermine them. The best defense isn't panic or despair—it's informed, strategic action based on understanding how complex systems fail and how they can be reinforced.