Even Homeland Security’s IT Is Preparing for a Security Storm

Just like any other high-profile entity, a government should place great emphasis on its IT infrastructure. The U.S. government is moving through 2015 with an increased awareness of the state of cybersecurity, and with all of the huge security breaches that happen almost regularly, it qualifies cyber threats as important as other national security threats.

Jeh C. Johnson, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, admitted at the annual RSA Conference that he believes cybersecurity will take precedence in 2015, despite the apparent lack of talent which the agency currently has for it. He states that filling this deficit is going to be important going forward, and that cybersecurity will likely join the ranks of other threats to the safety of the American homeland.

Johnson made it evident that he has big plans for the government’s IT security infrastructure. He explained the function of the National Cybersecurity Communications Integration Center (NCCIC, or N-KICK). This agency is the first step toward creating a place where direct communication between the masses and Homeland Security can occur. Citizens can report threats directly to the center. In 2014 alone, there were around 97,000 instances of security problems from private sector firms, and this number is only going to increase as time goes on. The center has a team that works around the clock to respond and resolve issues as quickly as they can.

This shouldn’t come as any surprise, though, especially considering how technology has practically taken over society. The Internet of Things isn’t helping, either, which brings more connected devices into the mix. This, in turn, puts more networks at risk, and pushes for more stringent security precautions to be integrated. To make matters worse, hackers use more sophisticated and powerful techniques than they used to, like spear phishing. These attacks make it more difficult to see attacks for what they truly are, and have a way of slipping through even the most advanced defenses while remaining undetected. These social engineering threats trick people into giving away personal information, which is a clear distinction from the ordinary variety of hacks.

If the government is concerned over cybersecurity, then your business should also see it as a top priority and be prepared to handle any threat that shows its ugly mug to your network. With so many different kinds of threats out there, it can be difficult to consider solutions that protect you from it all.

This is why Ferrum Technology Services offers our Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution to small and medium-sized businesses. It comes fully equipped with a firewall, antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering solution, which will give your business enterprise-level security. Give us a call at (847) 697-3282 to learn more.