# From Cybersec Guidelines to Guardrails: America Must Ditch the Standards Debate for Practical Cybersecurity Wins

By Software And Technology · Published 2024-02-14 · Updated 2026-06-09 · Business Services on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/business-services/guidelines-to-guardrails-america-iron-clad-cybersecurity-standards
Creator hub: Experts Talk

> Moving beyond voluntary frameworks to mandatory enforcement is the only way critical infrastructure can effectively combat escalating cyber threats

## Key points

- Voluntary cybersecurity frameworks are insufficient for protecting critical infrastructure against modern threats.
- Mandatory enforcement mechanisms must replace ongoing debates about standards to achieve real security outcomes.
- Practical cybersecurity wins require action and accountability, not just guidelines and recommendations.

Block Field

Recent [calls from Federal IT leaders](https://www.scmagazine.com/brief/cisa-urged-to-strengthen-security-standards-coordination) for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to implement stricter cybersecurity standards and enhance collaboration have given rise to a pressing question: How can sectors of critical infrastructure effectively shield themselves from the [growing wave of cyber threats](https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsayegh/2023/12/19/navigating-the-cybersecurity-landscape-in-2024/) through actionable and enforceable cybersecurity practices?

Drawing on his experience as the former Chief Strategist for the CISA COVID Task Force (2020-2022), [I Am The Cavalry](https://iamthecavalry.org/) Founder **Josh Corman** highlights the crucial need to move from voluntary frameworks to mandatory cybersecurity standards that clearly establish what constitutes negligence. Corman called for a more focused approach, emphasizing the importance of a vital transition towards practical and mandatory cybersecurity measures in order to strengthen the defenses of critical infrastructure against an [ever-expanding landscape of cyber threats](https://marketscale.com/industries/business-services/gsx-2023-johnson-controls-cybersecurity-architecture/).

> There's a lot of frameworks. Unfortunately, there's very little progress… What we need is less frameworks and more progress against these minimum hygiene levels.
> *— Josh Corman, Founder at I Am The Cavalry*

Tags: CISA, CISA COVID Task Force, cyber advisory, cybersecurity concerns, Experts Talk, Josh Corman

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