Explanation
Cybersecurity has quickly risen to the top of IT leaders' priority lists since the pandemic forced unprecedented remote access and delivery of government services, telehealth, and education. What was once a shiny object that government agencies didn't have the resources to implement is now mission-critical. However, governments are grappling with several challenges in upgrading their cyber defenses to match today's growing threat landscape.
The public sector faces an incredible data sprawl across departments such as law enforcement, health agencies, and city services. With sensitive information subject to regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), endpoint devices used by all government employees, and remote access to government IT infrastructure, governments are data and access security. If data controlled by government agencies is accessed or compromised, the consequences can be devastating.Migrating data secure cloud platform While it has helped with repository consolidation, network migration and hardening multiple layers of security remains a challenge.
Limited budgets, excess IT staff, and a lack of available cybersecurity talent are hindering the procurement of the latest tools and security talent. SHI's recent research A survey on public sector cybersecurity shows that budgets are increasing slowly, with 47% expecting some increase in the coming year. However, small increases in funding are usually not enough to fully address your needs. Only 17.7% of public sector IT leaders are using federal grants to close cybersecurity gaps.
Government agencies can access additional funding in the form of grants to expand their cybersecurity programs and better protect the services they provide and the data of their constituents.
Identifying additional financing options
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) recognizes the importance of: Improving cybersecurity Contribute to the public sector through a $1 billion investment. FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DoJ) have expanded eligible spending for several grant programs, including cybersecurity. The ARPA State and Local Financial Relief Fund (SLFRF) can be used for government services up to the amount of documented revenue loss due to COVID-19.
The final rule provides a standard provision for loss of revenue of $10 million, and recipients may choose the standard loss of revenue amount or complete a full revenue loss calculation. Government services include, but are not limited to, cybersecurity modernization, including hardware, software, and critical infrastructure protection.
Many states also have their own cybersecurity funding Programs available to state and local governments. Despite being available, many government agencies are not taking advantage of additional funding opportunities. 45.6% reported needing help understanding which grants they were eligible for and 44.9% needed help understanding available grants. Private partners identify potential grants for technology initiatives in public sector institutions and help those institutions understand and apply for those grants. There are often security management prerequisites to obtaining these grants. Making these initial cyber hygiene improvements is a great first step toward future success, and your organization will be well-positioned to implement new tools if you win a grant.
Prioritize investments
Once an organization has access to grant funding, the question is which problem to tackle first, and there are usually many. According to his 63.9% of survey respondents, the biggest challenge is managing increasingly complex devices, workloads, and identities. Government agencies must first spend all the money they receive to solve these problems.
This is where identity access management (IAM) and cloud security tools and response plans are especially helpful for local and state government agencies. In fact, the top areas for increased investment for local and state agencies are IAM (26.7%), cyber incident response planning (24.7%), cloud security (34.7%), and email security (33.3%).
Although these tools are common in the private sector, they are solving very different problems. The scope of the public sector is much larger, and all components are provided with critical services by government agencies, so security must be prioritized above all else to stay safe. Government security affects all people in a given region, not just one company and its customers.
Start
Billions of dollars are available through grants to address public sector technology needs. Grants serve as an excellent additional funding option for government agencies looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Grants and thoughtful strategies can help public sector institutions be resilient and able to withstand today's threats.
Partners help these institutions navigate available funding options, meet prerequisites for grant funding, and recommend the best investment areas that will have the greatest impact on improving cybersecurity posture. We can support you.
attack on a children's hospital in Chicago; knocked off-line. There may be no silver bullet to protect all these institutions and organizations, but with the help of grants, institutions and organizations can better protect themselves and their members as the threat landscape becomes more dangerous than ever. You can protect it well.
