
The Federal Government’s Data Security Needs
In fiscal year 2018 alone, more than 31,000 cyber incidents targeted federal agencies – and the cyber threat landscape against federal government targets is only growing more complex. From cyber criminals to nation state actors and their proxies, a diverse array of attackers seek to steal sensitive data, make money, or simply create chaos and heighten distrust in American institutions.
These threats are particularly pronounced at the federal government’s edge – that is, any data or system outside of a traditional data center. Without proper cyber protections in place, the edge, which can include mobile endpoints like laptops and cellphones, deployed defense tactical elements, and training centers and testing labs, is vulnerable to attack and exploitation. Reinforcing this vulnerability is a misunderstanding across the federal landscape about the appropriate tools required for protecting the edge, as demonstrated in recent survey findings.