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According to a survey, local governments are attacked daily (if not constantly) by cybercriminals. Therefore, security should be the first priority of government companies.
Georgia county government was victim of a cyber attack. The attack affected network, email and telephone access. Most of the city’s departments, including the mayor’s office, the health, planning and development department, and the social services department, were adversely affected.
The Kansas City and County Unified Government suffered a cyber security attack on its data center over the Easter holiday weekend. “We are currently working to restore services and data access, and community members are encouraged to check our website or call 311 for updates on affected services”.
Continuous damage assessment is underway. They are actively working with the US Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central American Regional Council Cybersecurity Task Force to identify potentially compromised data. Some services may be affected and their website remains available and will be updated when available.
There are two main reasons local governments should pay attention to cybersecurity. They are required to protect sensitive, personally identifiable data in their care. Security incidents and data breaches can affect the operation of critical services and undermine public trust.
The best way to improve your cybersecurity is to hire an experienced IT provider who can design the right security program for your agency. In the meantime, however, here are five strategies you can adopt to quickly increase your IT security:
An incident response plan outlines the steps to follow and the tools to use in the event of a data breach. Planning can help you react quickly to potential data breaches, mitigate damage, and address weaknesses in your cybersecurity defenses.
“Zero trust” is a relatively new type of network design. Basically everyone is checked to see if they are sitting in the office before they are given access to the network.
Control which devices can access the network. Experienced managed service providers can help you plan and install your network based on zero-trust principles. Provide employee training. Insider threats have increased by 44% in recent years, with 62% of insider incidents being due to employee negligence. Promote security culture for personnel. Make sure your employees know how to create strong passwords. Teach employees how to keep their data secure. Conduct regular cybersecurity audits. Regular audits of cybersecurity processes can identify and correct potential weaknesses in the framework. It also helps reduce downtime by ensuring your system is performing optimally. Consider performing a security audit at least once every three months or hiring an IT provider to perform this review on your behalf. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) form a secure “funnel” between your device and the Internet. You can safely browse your public WiFi network by encrypting all information, including browser history and user data. If your employees work remotely, use a VPN to protect sensitive government data from unauthorized access.
Advances in technology adoption and the ongoing threat of cyber-attacks on local government agencies, infrastructure and partner organizations, even when taken for granted, require the attention of local government leadership.
Awareness of cyber threats has increased significantly, and an ecosystem of federal and state agencies dedicated to combating them has grown. The spread of guidelines, recommendations and regulations is also increasing.
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. This is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
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