Government software in the cloud, now what?

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

To make the cloud more secure, IT teams must adopt a proactive, real-time approach to protecting it, taking advantage of agile software development and better monitoring capabilities.

Over the past year, a growing number of government agencies have been transitioning from legacy systems to the cloud and reaping the immediate benefits: agility, simplification, streamlined processes and cost reduction. As with many organizations, agencies' cloud computing deployment often begins with email migration, website hosting and basic software as a service, leaving some parts of their infrastructure in traditional data centers and activating hybrid cloud models to meet their IT needs. The advantages of cloud can’t be ignored, and organizations, including government, are moving to it to thrive in today's rapidly evolving IT landscape.

Because cloud-based tools and services are fairly new, however, there are concerns about protecting information stored there. For government agencies, whose information in the cloud can be sensitive and even classified, security must be a top priority. Unfortunately, the approaches of the past are not enough to protect today’s complex cloud environment.   

Moving to cloud means rethinking the web application security paradigm and activating a more robust approach to protection after launch. The days of prelaunch penetration testing and post-launch maintenance -- in which uncovered vulnerabilities may take several days to fix while applications are exposed -- are gone. To make the cloud more secure, IT teams must adopt a proactive, real-time approach to protecting it, taking advantage of agile software development and better monitoring capabilities.

How can government agencies ensure their cloud and web application protection plan is solid?

Ensure breadth of coverage: Cyberthreats will continue to plague agencies, so building a strong security foundation that protects against different types of attacks (SQL injection, cross-scripting, etc.) in various components of an application  is a fundamental part of any security strategy. With different employees having access to various levels of classified data, it is crucial that the security system be flexible enough to protect each level and component in the network.    

Bridge the gap between old and new: The phrase “yesterday’s technology to protect today’s data” is frequently heard describing the government sector, which is often behind the times when it comes to the latest technologies. As agencies modernize their legacy systems, they should support web languages besides Java, including Python, Ruby on Rails and Node.js.

Get out of a static frame of mind and into real-time protection: Real-time protections require improvements in processes. Few agency networks can afford to shut down when a threat or possible breach occurs. A system that can evolve and continue to function when it is under attack or being repaired is a necessary part of this solution. Look for an agile security solution that works to identify vulnerabilities, risks and threats while stopping attacks at the first sign of penetration.  

Make sure it's easy: Agency systems with custom infrastructure and patches in their code can pose security challenges when new applications are rolled out. Embedded security software should adapt to an agency’s existing infrastructure and applications and work within minutes of installation, avoiding tests and trial-runs that can expose application and data.

An agency’s goal is to build extensive security without slowing down IT. The new development and operations process agencies use to move to the cloud should also be applied to security. Security should be as proactive, forward-thinking and resilient as the cloud is. Security software along with processes and protocols that make protection effective must be put in place, especially when dealing with sensitive government data.   

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.