
Securing the Federal Government’s Data
In late 2021 Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said, “Cybersecurity threats are among the greatest challenges facing our Nation. Organizations of all sizes, including the federal government, must protect against malicious cyber actors who seek to infiltrate our systems, compromise our data, and endanger American lives.”
The cyber threat landscape against the federal government is only growing more complex. From cybercriminals to nation-state actors and their proxies, a diverse array of attackers seek to steal sensitive data, extort money, or 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 survey findings.