As we navigate the complexities of cybersecurity in 2024, state and local government leaders are standing at a critical juncture. Establishing a comprehensive cyber defense strategy has become an indispensable requirement for state and local governments.
Cybersecurity threats have become more sophisticated and damaging, making headlines with increasing frequency and audacity. Ransomware attacks and financial cyber fraud have become common methods of attack, particularly for local governments wrestling with the daunting task of balancing modern technology adoption while maintaining a legacy of aging IT infrastructure.
Yet, as this challenge looms large, there’s a renewed focus on prioritizing cyber risk management at the state and local levels—and rightfully so. For agency leaders and other state and local employees across various lines of business, prioritizing risk management isn’t just about securing data; it’s about preserving public trust and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of essential services.
Prioritizing cyber risk management using five strategic pillars
In 2024, managing and governing user data effectively will become a top priority for state and local government leaders. They understand the critical importance of ensuring that data is of high quality and that their teams are skilled in handling it. This focus is due to data’s crucial role in the administration and success of their agencies, particularly when it comes to securing public service delivery.
To bolster their defense against evolving threats, state and local agencies are increasingly turning to external experts. These experts perform thorough assessments, actively monitor for potential security threats, and create tailor-made strategies to reinforce agency defenses against cyber incidents.
Key defensive tactics involve robust technological solutions, including advanced gateways, routers, firewalls, and thorough password checks—each serving as critical checkpoints to prevent unauthorized access. Adhering to these defensive measures is especially important when there may be gaps in other protective strategies.
Developing a solid cybersecurity infrastructure at the state and local levels means management must adopt a five-pillar strategic approach across their agency’s network and departmental infrastructure. These strategies include:
- Embracing the Cloud: By transitioning to trusted cloud services, state and local governments can achieve a more modern and resilient infrastructure. Leaders will benefit from improved data accessibility and collaboration within and across different departments. The onus for maintaining cybersecurity standards may shift to cloud service providers, who have advanced security measures in place. Leaders can then focus more on strategy and less on the technical specifics of cybersecurity.
- Phasing out legacy risk: Retiring vulnerable and unsupported systems will decrease the likelihood of successful cyber attacks, resulting in fewer disruptions to critical public services. Leaders must be proactive in allocating resources and planning to replace outdated technology. This effort will involve collaboration between finance, procurement, and IT departments to manage costs and ensure a smooth transition to more secure platforms.
- Investing in event response: Response teams are crucial for quickly addressing security incidents, minimizing the impact of breaches, and restoring normal operations. Leaders across various departments will have to create or align with policies that facilitate rapid communication and coordinated response in the event of a cybersecurity incident. Regular drills and training should be conducted to ensure staff are prepared for such events.
- Prioritizing people: Focusing on human capital by educating and retaining cybersecurity talent will foster a more secure working environment. Department leaders will need to emphasize professional development and staff retention strategies to keep up with the evolving threat landscape. This approach is about creating a culture of security awareness across all levels of government—a key factor in preventing security breaches.
- Focusing on critical controls: Narrowing down to essential security controls like MFA, patch management, AI-powered cybersecurity and strong configuration settings can streamline cybersecurity and reduce administrative burden. State and local leaders and directors in other lines of business within agencies must work together to implement and enforce these controls consistently. This coordinated effort helps protect sensitive information and reduces the risk of costly security incidents.
Consolidating risk management efforts for a more effective defense strategy
We’re also seeing a trend toward consolidating cybersecurity efforts around high-impact strategies rather than a scattershot approach to defense. This approach exemplifies the transition from simple tactical steps to a well-defined strategic risk management ideology developed to effectively manage the sophisticated and wide-ranging scope of today’s evolving cyber threats.
Moreover, while cyber risk management tools bolster staff resources and provide valuable automation and insights, we must recognize that technology alone isn’t a silver bullet. True resilience in the face of cyber threats is born from a culture of constant vigilance, shared responsibility, and robust public-private partnerships. It’s about recognizing that cybersecurity is a communal endeavor, where each breach avoided is a community safeguard.
In closing, the path forward for state and local governments is clear: by adopting these five strategies, leaders across all lines of business at the state and local levels can improve their cyber defenses. By doing so, state and local governments can not only protect their systems and data but also secure the trust of those they serve—a trust that ultimately serves as the foundation for all effective governance.
