Cybercrime is growing at a disturbing rate, with incidents of malware, ransomware and data breach attacks continuing to rise. Criminals took advantage of digital transformation and the move to remote work during the pandemic to launch attacks on all types of organizations, including state and local governments. In 2021, 66 percent of organizations were hit by a ransomware attack, up from 37 percent in 2020,” according to Sophos.
A comprehensive cybersecurity program can help reduce risk and strengthen a state or local government’s security posture. It is crucial to monitor IT systems and assets to detect potential cybersecurity events and make sure protective measures are effective. The goal is to manage the risk incurred by unmanaged devices, unauthorized devices, or poorly protected applications and systems, which leave the network and data vulnerable to attackers.
This type of monitoring is not a once-yearly effort; to be effective, it should be done continuously. Assessing and analyzing security controls and security risks frequently can defend the network against many common attacks, freeing up IT staff to address more dangerous and complex attacks.
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