As local government departments continue to provide critical services to citizens and businesses, they must ensure that their employees, contractors, systems, and data are protected from unauthorized access and potential cyber threats.
Public sector agencies and departments are responsible for providing a wide range of services to citizens, from issuing driver’s licenses and managing voting systems to managing healthcare and overseeing transportation infrastructure. As government continue to rely more heavily on digital systems and data, it faces a growing number of identity security challenges.
Local government, which include cities, towns, and counties, face similar identity security challenges to central government agencies. However, local government often has fewer resources and may be more vulnerable to cyber threats due to being smaller in size and having less mature security postures.
Here are some of the most significant identity security challenges in the public sector.
Cyber attacks
Central government agencies are a high-value target for cybercriminals seeking sensitive information, such as personal data, health records, and financial information. Cyber-attacks can take many forms, from phishing and social engineering to ransomware and denial-of-service attacks. These attacks can cause significant disruptions to critical services and result in data breaches.
Insider threats
Like commercial enterprise organizations, government agencies are vulnerable to insider threats from employees who may abuse their access privileges or who accidentally expose sensitive information. Insider threats can be intentional or unintentional, and they can result in significant data breaches and other security incidents.
Data privacy
Public sector collects and stores large amounts of personal information about citizens, such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and tax, property, and health records. Ensuring the privacy and security of this data is a critical responsibility of government agencies and is essential to maintaining the trust of citizens.
Compliance Requirements
Government agencies are subject to various regulations and compliance requirements, governing the protection of sensitive information. Meeting these compliance requirements can be challenging, particularly as regulations continue to evolve and become more complex, and especially for local government with limited resources.
Legacy Systems
Many central government agencies rely on outdated legacy systems while local agencies have limited IT infrastructure. This lack of modern security features can leave them more vulnerable to cyber threats. Further, agencies often have complex IT infrastructures with multiple systems and applications, making it challenging to effectively manage user identities and access privileges.
Limited Resources
Local government may have limited budgets and IT staff, making it difficult to invest in robust security solutions and keep up with the latest security threats.
A Three Step Approach to Identity Excellence
Let’s explore how the public sector can enhance its security posture and protect its constituents’ information.
1. Review and assess your Identity & Access Management (IAM) strategy
IAM solutions are designed to manage user access to applications, systems, and data based on their roles and responsibilities. An integrated platform can enforce access policies, streamline user provisioning and de-provisioning, and provide visibility into user activity. By centralising and streamlining identity management, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access, and comply with regulatory requirements.
It’s important to conduct a regular assessment of your solutions and what systems are covered, your user population’s access needs and identify any gaps you may have. You will also want to understand where you can migrate to the cloud vs continue to carry the on-premises technology approach.
2. Consider a cloud-based identity governance solution
Identity governance is the process of managing and controlling user access to sensitive applications, systems, and data. Automation of manual IT processes can drive efficiencies and maintain stringent regulatory compliance requirements. It’s also possible to apply machine learning/artificial intelligence techniques to prevent unwanted application and data access that typically leads to data breaches.
Ultimately, choosing a cloud solution is a less complex approach and will enable organizations to lower costs, automate provisioning processes and reduce the need for a large, dedicated team to manage the program.
3. Train Your Team for Identity Security Self-Sufficiency
While user awareness training is an essential step in educating employees on the importance of identity security and how to protect sensitive information, it’s also important to ensure your IT team is self-sufficient in managing solutions post-implementation. At ProofID, we take a hands-on approach in training so your team can take an active role in future delivery. Even after implementation is complete, ProofID IAM experts and executives are available to answer any question you may have about secure access management, around the clock.
IN SUMMARY
Public sector faces identity security challenges which require a comprehensive approach including robust security policies, modern identity security technologies, and user education and training programs. Prioritising identity security to protect critical services and maintain the trust of citizens is key for today’s state and local agencies.
The team at ProofID is experienced with the proper clearance to help you craft your identity security strategy, move IAM efforts to the cloud, implement quickly. With our team of identity experts, you’ll become trained and proficient within a matter of weeks, not years. If you are ready to prioritize identity security to protect your systems and data from cyber threats, contact us.
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