Page 204 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2025

Figure 1: Cyber Threat Landscape Across U.S. Public Sector Entities

Traditional security cannot keep pace with this reality. Detecting malware already running inside the
network or scrambling to patch a zero-day after it has been weaponized amounts to fighting yesterday’s
war. What SLED organizations need is external cyber defense: continuous visibility into the attacker’s
ecosystem so threats can be seen, understood, and disrupted before they ever reach official
infrastructure. Below are six pillars of an external-first approach that form a blueprint for safeguarding
public services and the citizens who rely on them.

1. Deep and Dark Web Monitoring

The underground economy has matured into a vast marketplace where credentials, network access, and
confidential documents are traded by the terabyte. School districts and state health departments can’t
afford to overlook those markets. A single infostealer infection on a student laptop can harvest credentials
that, weeks later, appear for sale to ransomware affiliates. Timely identification of those stolen logins
turns a looming crisis into a simple password-reset exercise. Continuous dark-web monitoring serves as
an early-warning system; it spots the early steps of an attack while defenders still have room to act.

2. Phishing and Brand-Impersonation Detection

Recent campaigns have impersonated departments of motor vehicles, for example, sending citizens
fraudulent text messages about unpaid tolls and directing them to cloned payment portals. Such schemes
harvest credentials, steal funds, and erode confidence in government services. External monitoring that

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2025 Edition 204
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