War in Ukraine is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to burgeoning geopolitical unrest. Malignant actors have taken advantage of widespread global disruption and other crises to increase acts of hacktivism and cyberwarfare. In fact, European officials claim that there are over 10 TB of sensitive information stolen every month, with both ransomware and phishing being tapped as the most common tool used to gain inroads to data.
From 2021 through this year, state-sponsored cybercrime has soared, with governments and public administration centers accounting for nearly one-quarter of attacks. In the United States, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reports that Defense Industrial Base is a significant target for malicious actors, termed advanced persistent threat (APT) actor. These hackers are using open-source tools such as Impacket to gain access, alongside custom-made exfiltration tools to then extract sensitive data.
Even Microsoft has noticed a trend in cyber-aggression targeting critical governmental infrastructure, with a 40% increase in state attacks, due largely to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and its allies. However you look at it, keeping government data safe must be a priority for all U.S. agencies for long-term security and continued public safety.
The Simple Plan for Keeping Government Data Safe
Government data safety is so important that the Biden administration recently recommitted to the protection of national infrastructure through the proclamation of November as Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month. While the National Infrastructure Advisory Council will work toward improving physical and cybersecurity in critical sectors, individual government agencies can do their part by using these cybersecurity best practices.
Improve Your Infrastructure
Outdated and legacy equipment can pose a real security risk. Working with a competent third-party Managed IT provider can assist you in updated equipment at a rate that is consistent with budgetary and other requirements. Leaving old infrastructure in place can result in hampered services as well as the exorbitant costs that can accompany a successful data breach.
Keep Your (New) Infrastructure Up to Date
Keeping equipment properly maintained and updated with the latest security patches is critical to proper cybersecurity hygiene — and data protection. Hackers often take advantage of inherent vulnerabilities, either in hardware or software, to gain a foothold in your system and compromise your data. Having a dedicated in-house team to keep up with maintenance and updates is critical, but if your agency cannot afford to hire IT talent with leading-edge knowledge, then partnership with a third-party provider is essential.
Encryption, Education, and Redundancy
Make sure all your data is encrypted and that multi-factor authentication is enabled to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. In addition, educate and train your staff on proper cybersecurity standards and policies to help them understand hacker techniques — and avoid falling victim to ransomware, phishing, and other social engineering schemes. Finally, ensure that your data is properly backed up, preferably in more than one location and preferably off-premises. Redundancy ensures that, should a breach occur, your agency will still have access to the data it needs to continue its mission. Coordinating with a competent authority in cybersecurity protection can help you decide how to best store your data for greatest safety and easier retrieval in the event of a cyberattack.
Blue Technologies Has Cybersecurity Expertise You Need
Keeping data safe is critical to every business, but particularly government agencies. Not only do you have to ensure business continuity for the sake of public safety, but you must also protect the data which has been entrusted to you by the American public.
At Blue Technologies, we take data protection and cybersecurity seriously. That is why we have curated a team of IT experts with significant and leading-edge knowledge in the realm of infrastructure and cybersecurity. Our team can assess and evaluate your agency’s current infrastructure, bring it up to date, and implement and maintain a solid cybersecurity protection program to assist you in keeping data safer from harm.
Protect your agency’s data with the latest, most effective cybersecurity strategies. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant to learn how our team of IT and cybersecurity experts can assist your agency in creating a robust, protected cyber environment for better data safety.