Civilian digital infrastructure moves to the front line: DCO

Civilian digital infrastructure is becoming a frontline security issue, with governments, telecom operators, and media organizations warning that cyberattacks, AI-driven misinformation, and service disruptions are now capable of triggering full-scale civilian crises, that was the main takeaway from a webinar hosted by the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), attended by EnterpriseAM.

Digital systems are no longer viewed as backend technology layers, but as core national infrastructure underpinning healthcare, banking, emergency response, communications, and public trust. “When hospitals lose access to digital ecosystems, emergency alerts are manipulated, or when civilians cannot access banking, civil records, or travel information, the impact is no longer merely technical,” said Syed Shah, technical publications director at the DCO. “It becomes a civilian crisis affecting trust, security, and continuity of essential services,” he added.

The emerging risks span a broad spectrum, from AI-driven misinformation campaigns and soft cyberattacks aimed at undermining trust and social cohesion, to more severe attacks that can cause physical harm by targeting utilities, hospitals and other critical infrastructure systems, according to a DCO report seen by EnterpriseAM. They also include traditional physical disruptions that can destabilize civilian digital services and broader economic activity — such as supply chain blockades and attacks on submarine cables, which carry roughly 95% of global data traffic, as well as data centers and telecom infrastructure.

IN CONTEXT- The discussion comes as the Iran conflict’s early strikes on digital infrastructure in the UAE and Bahrain, along with maritime disruptions and GPS jamming, have underscored the vulnerability of regional digital and cloud infrastructure.

Governments in fortify mode

Keeping it running: Government priorities are moving from digital expansion toward ensuring continuity during crises. “The focus today is shifting from digital transformation to digital resilience,” said the Digital Government Authority’s Salman Alghliga. He added that governments now need unified governance frameworks covering cybersecurity, disaster recovery, data governance, and business continuity, supported by regular stress testing and crisis simulations.

The private sector’s growing cyber burden

More users, more data, more ways in: Telecom operators and digital service providers are facing growing pressure to secure expanding volumes of customer data as AI tools and digital financial services scale, said Salman Tariq, head of HCC Security and Business Continuity at Jazz World in Pakistan.

Defending the digital floodgates: Companies are now investing heavily in cybersecurity infrastructure, emergency response systems, and AI governance as businesses develop new AI-powered products and services. “The public needs to know that their data, their financial information, is secure,” Tariq said.