With the explosive growth of the internet over the last three decades, the public and private sectors have inextricably woven our economy and society into the digital sphere. While this has facilitated incredible innovation, collaboration, and productivity, it has also created new opportunities for personal or sensitive data to be misappropriated and misused. How does the U.S. government keep all this data safe?
Why the U.S. government is a target of cyberattacks
Federal, state, and local governments maintain massive amounts of data. From Social Security numbers and tax returns to comprehensive employee data (the U.S. government is by far the largest employer in America), the scale of information housed in public-sector systems is staggering. What’s more, these systems tend to be older and more vulnerable than those in the private sector – making them a tantalizing target for cyber criminals.
Government agencies are routinely targeted by unfriendly nations, opportunistic hackers, criminal enterprises, and even “hacktivists” looking to make a statement or force a change in policy. The intent of these cyberattacks is wide-ranging. Some want to disrupt government operations, while others want to acquire banking details or financial information, and still others are looking to uncover government secrets and insights into intelligence operations.
The cybersecurity challenges of the federal government are continuous and they present real threats to national security, public health and safety, and citizens’ trust.
Balancing data security with availability
Storing data comes with an inherent risk that it may be compromised. The federal government is faced with two equally important but critical functions: making sure data is available when needed to those who are authorized to access it, while also preventing the kinds of unauthorized access that result in data loss or breach.
In addition to these main challenges, the IT security engineer must also address a range of if-then scenarios; not just “How do we keep people out?” but also “What if somebody gets in?” This shapes the modern, dynamic approach to cybersecurity. As threats flourish in frequency and sophistication, capabilities must evolve to mitigate the growing risk. The federal government needs to be resilient – capable not only of preventing cyberattacks, but also of responding to them when they occur and minimizing any impact. A robust approach to risk detection, response, and recovery is essential.
How to mitigate cyber risk
The government’s complex digital infrastructure comes with inherent risks, so how do agencies and their supporting contractors continue to build new tools, software, and systems in support of the mission? GovDataHosting provides the platform, adaptability, and security to succeed when faced with these cyber threats.
We deploy systems and apps on FedRAMP certified and audited infrastructure, managed by our experienced personnel, to handle 98% of all required government compliance work. Our security compliance services allow our customers to focus almost exclusively on managing the applications hosted with us, and not on worrying about an enhanced security posture. Our all-inclusive disaster recovery services are both cost-effective and customizable to keep mission-critical systems online and up-to-speed in the face of unplanned interruptions.
Just imagine the fallout from a hypothetical breach. Is your organization resilient and poised to cope? Get in touch with GovDataHosting to find out how our managed government hosting and IT services can align with your unique goals.
