Ednetics Insights

Technology strategies and knowledge to help you succeed.

Cybersecurity Awareness for Government

As government agencies work to transition to a modern digital infrastructure, integrated security becomes a critical factor. The shift towards a more mobile, remote work force and digital service delivery has increased the need for better cybersecurity practices and infrastructure as the number of vulnerabilities and attack surfaces increase.

Government agencies need to prioritize integrated security to keep ahead of the increasingly sophisticated attacks of cyber criminals. Protecting confidential user data, preventing service disruptions, and adopting a culture of awareness are key to avoiding the costs of ransomware attacks and data leaks.

Incorporating cybersecurity into staff training, procedures, and policies helps foster a cybersecurity mindset.

Here are 3 ways to promote IT security. 

1) Think before you click.

Suspicious emails and websites may play on your emotions, encouraging you to act quickly. A message may seem to come from a coworker or supervisor. It may ask you for help or to click on a helpful link.  

Take a little time to really look at the message before responding. Ask yourself: 

  • Is the email coming from an unfamiliar address?
  • Are there spelling or grammatical errors in the message?
  • Is the message asking you for personal information?

These are all easy-to-read clues that the message is suspicious and could contain links infected with malware, such as ransomware. All you need to do is delete the message to beat the bad guys. If you receive a suspicious email, you can spread the word by letting coworkers know what to watch out for. 

2) Become security aware.

Educate yourself about how to identify and avoid suspicious emails and website links. Phishing emails are a popular method the bad guys use to try to get into your organization’s network.

Becoming aware of these threats and the tell-tale signs of phishing emails makes them easy to avoid. Practice exercises will help staff become familiar with the characteristics of phishing emails so they can avoid opening them and clicking on infected links. 

3) Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

One way the bad guys play on your emotions is by offering you something tempting if you click on a link or do a favor for them. Hackers might offer you a gift card for filling out a survey or promise to send you money if you pick up some gift cards and send the serial numbers to them.  

 If the deal sounds too good to be true, don’t respond or click on anything. Just delete the message. It’s as easy as that. 

The First Line of Security Defense

In IT security, you are the first line of defense. By following IT security best practices, you can help prevent network breaches. However, you don’t need to take on IT security all by yourself. Cisco provides leading solutions for a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity that protects your network and devices.

As a Cisco Gold Partner, Ednetics can help you strengthen your approach to IT security with leading technology. We help government agencies prioritize cybersecurity with preventative technology, awareness training, and backup and recovery for defense against ransomware. 

Our extensive and successful track record working with schools, libraries, and state and local government equips us to develop cybersecurity solutions that meet the needs of the public sector to keep everyone safer and empower them to make the right decisions when using technology. 

Find out more about what Ednetics does for government agencies. Visit our website 

Download 4 Keys to Securing Your Organization

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