Digital Gaps, Cyber Threats: Designing Policies to Keep People Safe Online

Cybersecurity policy has long focused on strengthening infrastructure and mitigating technical risks. These efforts remain essential, but they are no longer sufficient: As the digital landscape evolves, so too must our understanding of where vulnerability resides. This report describes human vulnerabilities—stemming from a lack of digital access, skills, and literacy—that must be recognized as core cybersecurity concerns, not peripheral issues.

Drawing on feminist legal theories, this report develops a conceptual framework for understanding vulnerability. It then examines and critiques traditional narratives and assumptions that have hindered effective policy responses before using testimonial data to highlight the importance of cybersecurity policy initiatives that recognize the connection between human and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The report then proposes concrete policy solutions, informed by the groundwork laid by previous efforts related to addressing the digital divide while underscoring the urgent need for more effective, equity-driven approaches. At the intersection of human and cybersecurity vulnerabilities lies the opportunity to build a more equitable digital future—one where all users are empowered to engage securely and confidently.