https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Commentary

Government IT managers: how to foil attacks (with related video)

Government IT managers: how to foil attacks (with related video)

Symantec's Mike Maxwell offers tips to government IT managers on how to safeguard hardware and software from cyber attacks.
  • Written by Mike Maxwell
  • 22nd May 2013

The reality for most local government IT managers is a mountain of potential cyber threats and a molehill of time, budget, and manpower with which to combat them.



Prioritization, therefore, is the operative principle—identifying which actions can best mitigate known attacks, address the widest variety of attacks, and stop attacks earliest in the compromise cycle. Essentially, it's the 80/20 rule: solidify protections against foreseeable threats, while providing security experts with the time—and the timely intelligence—needed to focus their energies on the unforeseeable.


Local government IT managers can get a head start on this strategy by following the SANS Twenty Critical Controls for Effective Cyber Defense, which map closely to the continuous monitoring controls in NIST special publication 800-53.

Specifically, we recommend focusing on the first five controls: hardware and software asset management, configuration control, vulnerability management, and malware defense. These are, essentially, the minimum foundational requirements for continuous monitoring.



But one word of caution about aggregation: Too often, local governments seek out products to satisfy individual controls without considering a method for aggregating and analyzing the collective data. For this reason, Symantec recommends an implementation strategy that begins with the data aggregation layer. (Not only can a centralized interface help users identify gaps and redundancies in their data collection processes, but it can also provide a single, central point-of-view for better risk management and threat remediation.)

By creating a common platform to manage risk, leveraging existing third-party technologies, and turning disparate data streams into actionable intelligence, local government agencies can achieve a key milestone on the path to long-term risk management maturity.

And that’s really the point: Implementing security controls should be less of a compliance exercise, and more of a larger effort to advance your local government’s operational mission.

Mike Maxwell is national director of state, local and education (SLED) at Mountain View, Calif.-based Symantec.

Symantec protects information worldwide, and provides security, backup and availability products and services. Symantec's Public Sector organization provides a portfolio of solutions that help federal agencies, state and local governments and educational institutions access, manage and secure their information.

Security experts take part in a Symantec Cyber Readiness Challenge in this video. The event includes multiple simulated cyber attacks.

Tags: Public Safety Smart Cities & Technology Commentary

Most Recent


  • digital
    How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government
    The rapid evolution of digital technologies transformed the way governments function, making them more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. Rather than relying on crystal trophies, governments can leverage digital tools to drive innovation and streamline processes, benefiting the population they serve. Open data and crowdsourcing Open data refers to making government data available to the public, […]
  • Broadband
    Oversight committee addresses NTIA reauthorization, FCC broadband map ahead of BEAD Program funding allocations
    As technological advancements continue to roll out at a breakneck pace, from artificial intelligence to high speed broadband connectivity, investment in digital infrastructure has become a defining theme of the modern era. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, stressed the importance of this charge in opening remarks at […]
  • Electric scooter
    Research highlights safety tradeoffs of electric scooter speed limiters
    Since the first shared electric scooter program was launched in the United States five years ago, they’ve swarmed cities across the country due to their inexpensive cost, clean energy output and versatility as a last-mile transportation option. As their popularity has grown, regulating their usage on public roadways and streets has arisen as a complex […]
  • zero trust
    Zero trust is a great strategy but a terrible name
    The monthly town hall meeting was going well until they got to the agenda item called “zero trust.” What was to be a routine request for additional funding to implement a zero-trust environment quickly became one of confusion and misunderstanding. Trust in government at all levels has continued its downward spiral over the years. So, […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness

White papers


7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023

Supercharge your ERP: How ERPs and Purpose-Built Solutions Work Together to Future-Proof Your Digital Strategy

15th May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023

Gallery: 10 of America’s most affordable cities

9th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities most friendly to EVs

7th April 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts’ jury selection system dlvr.it/SphCBk

26th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs dlvr.it/SpdFWy

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government dlvr.it/Spcktb

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill dlvr.it/SpZLph

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth dlvr.it/SpYqBS

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization dlvr.it/SpYp5c

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How green last-mile infrastructure benefits your community dlvr.it/SpXv8r

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Oversight committee addresses NTIA reauthorization, FCC broadband map ahead of BEAD Program funding allocations dlvr.it/SpW6TQ

23rd May 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.