A Closer Look at State and Local Government Cybersecurity Priorities

A Closer Look at State and Local Government Cybersecurity Priorities

November 13, 2023 at 02:05PM

Summary: State and local governments are facing challenges in cybersecurity and risk management, legacy modernization, and consolidation/optimization. The complexity of hybrid and multicloud environments introduces vulnerabilities and asset management difficulties. Visibility for monitoring and compliance is also a challenge. Legacy modernization requires a proper cloud strategy to simplify management and security. Consolidation and centralization of management and security in multicloud environments are necessary to address the evolving expectations of citizens without sacrificing security.

The meeting notes discuss three priority areas: cybersecurity and risk management, legacy modernization, and consolidation/optimization. They outline the challenges faced by state and local governments in these areas and emphasize the importance of addressing these challenges to ensure security and meet citizen expectations.

1. Cybersecurity and Risk Management:
– State and local governments are becoming more like technology companies due to citizen demands.
– Moving services to cloud environments increases complexity and presents challenges for cybersecurity and risk management.
– The hybrid and multicloud environment increases the potential for vulnerabilities, oversight, and human error.
– Asset management and discovery are crucial for securing and protecting APIs.
– Visibility across cloud environments is not guaranteed, necessitating efforts to ensure visibility exists for proper monitoring and compliance.

2. Legacy Modernization:
– State and local governments are migrating some applications to the cloud while leaving others on-premises.
– This creates complex hybrid and multicloud environments that require a proper cloud strategy.
– The focus should be on creating a less complex environment for developing, delivering, and maintaining secure applications and APIs.
– Proper cybersecurity and risk management, along with consolidation/optimization efforts, are essential.

3. Consolidation/Optimization:
– Simplifying and optimizing the management, operations, maintenance, and security of hybrid and multicloud environments is necessary.
– Complex environments lead to replication of technology stacks, requiring dedicated teams and hindering scalability.
– Complexity also hampers the consistent application of security policy and increases the risk of human error.
– Centralizing and consolidating the management of complex infrastructure can facilitate efficient and effective management and enhance security.

Overall, the meeting notes highlight the need for state and local governments to address the challenges in cybersecurity and risk management, legacy modernization, and consolidation/optimization to meet citizen expectations while ensuring security.

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