Tenable Co-CEO and CFO Steve Vintz warns that President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs could unintentionally raise the risk of cyberattacks as adversaries look to retaliate against growing economic pressure. There is a strong correlation between economic sanctions, trade barriers and a rise in cyber threats, particularly targeting critical infrastructure.

Domestic operators of critical systems such as hospitals, transportation networks and power grids often rely on overseas hardware suppliers. With tariffs in place, they may be forced to shift to local alternatives, significantly increasing operational costs. This disruption can create new vulnerabilities, especially as infrastructure owners navigate unfamiliar procurement processes and potential supply chain limitations.

“Fundamental shifts in market dynamics such as evolving trade policies and the emergence of new technology paradigms like generative AI can lead to an increasingly opportunistic threat landscape. At Tenable, we’ve long observed a clear pattern – when there’s disruption in financial markets or economic uncertainty, bad actors thrive.

“The recent introduction of wide-ranging tariffs can serve as a catalyst for dramatic shifts in global policy, which can destabilise business operations, heighten threats and make organisations more vulnerable and susceptible to exploitability.

“Businesses need to move faster than the threat actors they face. Now, more than ever, organisations have to be vigilant in bolstering their cybersecurity defences to mitigate the heightened risk of cyberattacks. That starts with knowing, exposing and closing the highest priority security gaps in order to reduce cyber risk.”

– Steve Vintz, Co-CEO and CFO, Tenable