Report highlights security gaps in state and local government networks

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A significant portion of state and local government technology officials in a new survey say they are underequipped, understaffed and under-resourced in addressing cybersecurity concerns.

Four in 10 state and local IT leaders say they lack the tools they need to identify and report cybersecurity vulnerabilities — and 38 percent express a need for intelligence tools that prioritize vulnerability risks. These technology gaps make it harder for security personnel to optimize their time and effectiveness, the study found.

The study, conducted by CyberScoop and StateScoop, and underwritten by Tenable, suggests that state and local agencies would benefit from combining tools that identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities with policies for responding to them and reporting methods (such as real-time dashboards) that make it easier to communicate threats to senior government and elected officials. Nearly half (46 percent) of respondents say that having more skilled and knowledgeable information security professionals would improve the ability to spot security vulnerabilities.

In addition to managing traditional IT networks, more than one-third of state and local government IT leaders say their organizations also manage operational technology (OT) to control physical networks, such as traffic signals and water or electrical facilities, making their security landscape more challenging. A quarter of those polled say their organizations also must secure systems used to manage internet-enabled devices such as environmental sensors.

"While a majority of state and local government officials polled reported having at least some visibility into the security of their IT systems, there remains a clear need for fuller visibility," said Wyatt Kash, head of content strategy for Scoop News Group, which conducted the study for CyberScoop and StateScoop.

"Digital transformation in the public sector should mean improved efficiency and citizen service, and if done right, reduced risk produced by development of good cyber-hygiene. The study illustrates that lack of visibility creates gaps that hamper security effectiveness," said Randy Crow, vice president, Public Sector Sales, Tenable. "Tenable solutions enable public sector organizations of all sizes to measure and reduce their Cyber Exposure by identifying, monitoring and prioritizing vulnerabilities across legacy IT environments, cloud, mobile, containers and operational technologies."

CyberScoop is the leading media brand in the cybersecurity market with more than 350,000 unique monthly visitors and 240,000 daily newsletter subscribers, reporting on news and events impacting technology and top cybersecurity leaders across the U.S.

StateScoop is a leading media brand in the state and local government information technology market with 100,000 unique monthly visitors and 125,000 daily newsletter subscribers, reporting on technology developments for state and local IT leaders across the U.S.

For more information, contact: Wyatt Kash, SVP Content Strategy, Scoop News Group, at [email protected], or 202-887-8001.

SOURCE Scoop News Group