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Winning the Cybersecurity Battle

Today we are announcing the “Winning the Cybersecurity Battle” report, as part of GovLoop’s Agency of the Future series. This is our second research report in the series, the first being an overview of how telework is impacting government. (See the guide, Telework: More than a Trend – A Workplace Transformation)

In ways yet to be seen, cybersecurity has already affected the “agency of the future.” Today, the world is interconnected like never before. As a nation, we must work collaboratively to ensure that cyber defense strategies are robust and effective to secure our way of life.

President Obama said during remarks at the White House, “the cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and that “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.”

Throughout his tenure, President Obama has directed agencies to conduct a thorough analysis of the Federal Government’s efforts to protect data, information, communication and critical infrastructure. Often, we forget that every day Americans rely on cyber defense for our economic viability and security.

Cyber includes much more than just our personal identity and social security numbers. Every day, cyber defense is used to protect:

  • Broadband networks
  • Information networks that power business, hospitals and schools
  • Critical infrastructure
  • Classified government intelligence and documents

This report provides an overview of the current cybersecurity landscape and the ‘need to know’ cyber information for government professionals. Read online below or download a PDF.

You can read the report online or can download a PDF here. The report also includes:

Results from 156 Public Sector Employees:

  • This survey finds that 84% of respondents see cybersecurity as a priority for their agency in the next 3-5 years. The trend cannot be overlooked; cybersecurity is now a mission critical practice within an agency.

Additional findings include:

  • 90 percent of respondents do not believe their agencies are fully prepared for a cyber attack.
  • 49 percent of respondents cited phishing as the largest threat to cyber security at their agency.
  • 22 percent of respondents could not accurately assess the cybersecurity systems and policies of their agencies.

Interview with Dan Lohrmann:

  • Chief Information Security Officer, Michigan: Lohrmann shares his experience and expertise keeping Michigan safe through innovative practices, such as the Michigan Cyber Range and improved training methods for state employees.

Overview of Federal Government Cybersecurity Landscape:

  • This section provides an overview of some of the efforts by the Obama Administration and highlights key findings from a recent GAO report.

Industry Perspectives:

  • This report also includes three interviews with industry experts, highlighting how industry is assisting government in keeping information and data safe.

Cybersecurity Cheat Sheet:

  • Our cheat sheet will provide you with a synopsis of the guide, and the need to know cybersecurity information.

The agency of the future will revolve around consolidating and integrating IT systems and connecting disparate data sets to improve decision-making. Additionally, the agency of the future will be rooted in data, cloud and mobile technology. With these trends shaping the public sector, the need is clear to adopt robust security protocols. This report is your first step to winning the cybersecurity battle.

 

Thank you to our industry partners for sponsoring the GovLoop Report, Winning the Cybersecurity Battle. With any questions about this report, please reach out to Pat Fiorenza, Senior Research Analyst, at [email protected].