The Government Accountability Office has recently reported that federal agencies have been slow to implement a majority of the recommendations it made for improving the cybersecurity of federal agencies. Despite the implementation progress at some agencies, more than two-thirds of all the cybersecurity recommendations made to various federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice, have not been fully implemented.
The report by Gao highlighted that the failure to implement these recommendations is a serious issue, not only due to the slow progress of adoption but also because the modern cybersecurity challenges require a robust and agile response within the federal agencies.
The Gao’s recommendations largely concerned data protection, protecting assets, mitigating risks, and modernizing information technology infrastructure. While the lack of resources and timely plans can be pointed out, these are challenges which must be addressed if federal agencies are to remain secure from cyber attacks.
The Gao reported that, although some progress was made in implementing the recommendations, federal agencies have been slow to adopt a majority of them. As such, it is disconcerting to note that the changes have not taken place despite the fact that cyber threats to government systems have become increasingly complex and sophisticated.
The best way to combat the cyber threats is to ensure that agencies have the resources needed to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures. The report suggests that there are still some technological and structural challenges which can be addressed to ensure that the federal agencies remain safe from any potential threats.
Therefore, it is important that the federal agencies move quickly to implement Gao’s recommendations, along with their own measures, to ensure they are able to protect the sensitive data they hold and the assets they manage. Moreover, it is imperative that all the agencies remain agile and responsive to any changes in the cybersecurity situation. Doing so will help the federal agencies strengthen their security posture to adequately mitigate the current and future risks they will inevitably face.
This Cyber News was published on www.securityweek.com. Publication date: Tue, 24 Jan 2023 03:31:02 +0000