State governments are increasingly being targeted by hackers for their administrative capabilities; therefore, they must follow best industry practices to protect themselves.
Fremont, CA: Due to their roles in the supply of critical services and the administration of industry and trade, state governments find themselves on the front lines. Indeed, state agencies may retain potentially susceptible troves of personal information, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. The most serious threat comes from nation-state attackers looking to take advantage of state government networks.
State policymakers, understandably, are eager to identify measures to safeguard their systems. They encounter problems as they implement new technologies, deal with tight resources, and try to stay up with emerging dangers while providing essential services to their constituents. Rather than reacting to the most recent cybersecurity incident or story, nations must think holistically and adopt comprehensive, risk-based cybersecurity policies to handle these concerns.
Cybersecurity best practices for state government:
Create a permanent cybersecurity advisory committee that includes representatives from industry and academics
The majority of cybersecurity expertise in many states is spread across industries and academic fields, and many of these individuals would be willing to contribute to state cybersecurity policy. Each state should take advantage of these resources and establish a cybersecurity advisory committee. These councils can bring industry experts, academics, and government leaders together to help state governments build cybersecurity plans and respond to continuing threats.
Boost cybersecurity culture
In many circumstances, an organization's weakest point of security, including state governments, is its staff. To reverse this trend, personnel must be equipped with the skills they need to remain ahead of and protect against more sophisticated threats. To limit cyber threats to the state, it is critical to establish an educated, cyber-literate workforce. State governments should adopt a thorough cybersecurity training program for all state employees to create a cybersecurity culture and lower the risks of cyberattacks.
Every step of strategic planning should include cyber resilience
State governments must focus on data resilience as they design and implement policies to protect their IT assets and data from cybersecurity disasters and other threats. To put it another way, guaranteeing that state networks can adapt, recover, and continue to operate in the event of an attack. Embracing cyber resilience may help nations not only become more secure but also provide chances for them to develop comprehensive, long-term policies that will lead them down the path of digital transformation.
