CDM: Cloud Hardening and Zero Trust Environments

August 12, 2021 by Leave a comment

By Amanda Mull, Contract Specialist

Critical cybersecurity goals for most federal agencies are focused on Zero Trust for a more mobile workforce, cloud-based products, and active threat detection plus dynamic response. Purchase of tools alone, however, cannot provide successful operational cybersecurity. Ongoing budgeting must address a holistic approach, including flexible policies and procedures, to adjust to new threats and changing work landscapes – along with a critical investment in cyber workforce training.

It is becoming more important for federal agencies to partner with companies that can help achieve their foundational cybersecurity goals. Partners and agencies alike must be committed to constant review and adjustment to systems and operations, to ensure that they maintain the highest levels of cybersecurity.

CDM program funds directly support agencies striving to harden their cloud cybersecurity against threats. The program becomes even more important as new threats emerge and agencies are forced to scramble to protect themselves and the public trust. 

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The importance of data monitoring and Zero Trust in battling ransomware

May 13, 2021 by Leave a comment

By Derek Giarratana, supplier manager

Ransomware is real and security threats continue to evolve, with new ones emerging daily. At times, organizations can feel that they won’t fall victim to ransomware, but now is not the time to ignore the facts. In 2019, it was reported that ransomware attacks were up by 41 percent, and in 2020 with the pandemic at the forefront, it was predicted that an attack occurred every 11 seconds.

In addition to the sheer volume of attacks, today’s ransomware and malware are also gaining in sophistication. Using random extensions and file names, the latest threats are making detection using blocked list solutions difficult and, in many cases, completely ineffective.

Every time an attack occurs, it takes significant time and money to remediate. Recovery time takes, on average, at least 16 days, and 67% of organizations that have been hit by an attack have lost all or part of their data. This is particularly problematic for public sector organizations that are faced with strict compliance requirements such as HIPPA, GDPR, CIPA, and CJIS.

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A Data-Centric Approach to Zero Trust for Public Sector

March 31, 2021 by Leave a comment

By Derek Giarratana, Supplier Manager

An organization’s data is its most important and valuable asset. This is especially true as organizations continue to move towards data-driven approaches to deliver on their missions and are more actively putting that data to work — and in remote locations no less. This means the need to protect data and maintain its accuracy and integrity is paramount.

In this series, we will explore each of these facets of data security and how it applies to IT challenges currently faced in the public sector. This first installment examines Zero Trust and how a data-centric approach addresses some of the hurdles with which public sector IT leaders struggle.

What is Zero Trust?

Aptly named, a Zero Trust approach assumes nothing internal or external to an organization’s perimeters can be trusted and should, therefore, require additional verification for access. The level of sophistication needed to meet the expectations and requirements of public sector data security lends itself to a Zero Trust model, which prompts data security experts to assess and manage data at the most granular level. With this approach in mind, data security experts are taking a fine-tooth comb to their data and paying close attention to their data management environment.

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