Why is documentation important for Government in terms of Cybersecurity?

Enrique Rangel, MSc, Director of Information Security and Access and Cesar Lugo Medrano, PhD, Business Analytics, Government of the State of Sinaloa

Enrique Rangel, MSc, Director of Information Security and Access and Cesar Lugo Medrano, PhD, Business Analytics, Government of the State of Sinaloa

Overcoming Challenges in Public Sector Cybersecurity

As the humble equivalent of a CISO in the Government of the State of Sinaloa, in Mexico, which is 'Director de Seguridad y Acceso Informático', my greatest responsibility is to ensure the availability of every digital administrative procedure, while executing new information security policies and controls. This has indeed been a hard task in many ways: first and foremost, a reduced team, followed by a minimal budget. I defined a six-year long plan for the duration of my public service, divided by four bastions: training and certification of my team, selection and alignment to an IT framework, cybersecurity awareness campaigns for government workers and cybersecurity audits. There was a great need for more people and with low budget, obtaining the much-needed cybersecurity training and certifications in Spanish were by itself an ordeal. Persistent requests and emphasizing the urgent need to the highest hierarchical ranks slowly but surely fulfilled its purpose. As the team grew, we had the opportunity to document our processes without disrupting vital operations, yet the privilege of choosing an IT framework is a double-edged sword; on the one hand, you can start off on the right foot formally documenting every process, on the other hand, you must assume that up until that point, there was never any documentation of any of them and sadly, we were right.

The current challenge of public administration is its own modernization, understanding this as the continuous process of adaptation to the demands of the environment, making the transition from a bureaucratic system to an information technology-oriented framework. To achieve this, it is imperative to consider the role of process documentation in ensuring long-term success. One relevant task within public administration is cybersecurity, a growing concern in today's digital world and the use of correct cybersecurity policies and procedures will guarantee the integrity, availability and confidentiality of sensitive information and personal data protection. The truth is that documentation is the glue that holds a strong cybersecurity strategy together; it is your team's game plan in a cyber-defense game and unfortunately, documentation is an essential component of the puzzle that is sometimes overlooked.

Process documentation can be defined as a discipline that shows how a process is executed by documenting all steps of a task from beginning to end. In the public sector, its primary goal is to optimize government processes and their agility to improve their overall performance. A process document is like a blueprint for all operating procedures. It ensures that everyone in your area of application is on the same page and knows how to execute a task to achieve a desired outcome.

“While the challenges of limited resources and resistance to change remain constant companions in this journey, the structured approach to documentation has proved to be our most reliable ally in the ongoing mission to safeguard our digital infrastructure.”

Getting started with cybersecurity documentation can be a challenge, especially in bureaucratic areas like the public sector where technology staff and operational users have limited exposure and training to draw from. Some aspects to highlight its importance are the following:

1. Definition of cybersecurity policies and procedures: Documenting IT processes allows the department not only to deliver a high consistent standard but identifies gaps and areas of improvement as a continuous process.

2. Threat and risk analysis: This documentation evaluates potential hazards to your systems and data and identifies the risks associated with the threats.

3. Incident response preparation: When an infringement occurs, there is a need to be able to easily and quickly access information about the systems and data to dictate the extent of the infringement and implement a response plan.

4. Compliance requirements: Government is subject to regulations that require it to follow specific security measures and document their security practices.

5. Maintaining currency: A great challenge with cybersecurity documentation is to be at the forefront. As technologies advance, the threats and dangers to information systems and data constantly change.

The greatest challenge was not just the technical implementation of cybersecurity measures, but rather the cultural transformation required within our government institution. The resistance to change, the comfort of undocumented processes and the initial skepticism towards formal frameworks - these were all barriers that required patience and persistence to overcome.

Until my experience, the journey towards comprehensive cybersecurity documentation is not just about checking boxes or meeting compliance requirements - it is about building a foundation for the future of public administration, with each documented policy, procedure and incident response plan, we are not just protecting current systems and data, we are creating a legacy of security consciousness that will serve future administrations long after our tenure. While the challenges of limited resources and resistance to change remain constant companions in this journey, the structured approach to documentation has proved to be our most reliable ally in the ongoing mission to safeguard our digital infrastructure.

Information Technology

Information Security