FAQ
Are cybersecurity threat increasing?
(Unfortunately) Yes, threats are increasing exponentially in sophistication, intensity, diversity and volume. Cyber experts report significant escalation in external cyber attacks, especially from criminal organizations and foreign state sponsored activities. Of course, this also depends on your industry, what type of information you have or generate, amount of money associated with your company. All of these factors either increases or decreases the likelihood associated with a breach.
Reproduced from the 2014 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study
“State governments at risk: Time to move forward”
Hacking, malware, ransomware and cyber terrorism are all part of the evolving landscape of threats facing government organizations. Governments at all levels are inherently “open” organizations and this makes their digital assets attractive targets. Government information resources are becoming increasingly more difficult to protect as more processes become digital and citizen services move online. Since the 1990s state and local governments have made progress, but it has been incremental.
Do mobile devices present security risks??
Mobile devices do bring great utility in terms of convenience and allowing individuals to be “online all the time.” Governments have widely deployed mobile devices for accessing resources and greater workforce productivity. However, the use of mobile devices for communicating and for sharing data create inherent security issues and add more points of access to the network. Mobile malware threats are certainly growing and a significant security concern with mobile devices is the loss of the device. Additional risks related to mobile devices are personal devices being used in the workplace and authentication of the user. The National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) publication “Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise” (SP 800-124) outlines a number of items for government organizations should follow.
What are the top five barriers in addressing cyber security?
Even as CISOs better define their roles and become an integral part of state government, they continue to face challenges, particularly in securing the resources they need to combat ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. Four-fifths (80 percent) of respondents say inadequate funding is one of the top barriers to effectively address cybersecurity threats, while more than half (51 percent) cite inadequate availability of cybersecurity professionals (figure 6). Survey evidence suggests that when CISOs develop and document strategies—and get those strategies approved—they can command greater budgets and attract or build staff with the necessary competencies.
