Cybersecurity is a topic that should be part of the routine of companies, after all, criminals are constantly trying to invade systems and steal information.
Cyber risks are harmful to all organizations, but especially government ones, because this is a sector that deals with sensitive data and if an attack occurs, the consequences are immeasurable.
When we talk about the consequences of attacks, we don't just mean financial loss, but the data of thousands of people will be in the hands of criminals.
Chief Information Security Officers, better known as CISOs, play a key role in managing and mitigating cyber risks in government organizations.
This is because these professionals are a kind of guardians of the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data. It is important that they create strategies to mitigate risks and safeguard sensitive data and information.
What is the role of the ciso in mitigating cyber risks?
The CISO plays a very important strategic role in government organizations, he is responsible for implementing information security solutions and keeping them up to date.
Importantly, their responsibilities go far beyond ensuring regulatory compliance.
These professionals are responsible for developing and executing an effective cybersecurity strategy that addresses ever-evolving threats.
In the case of government organizations, actions against attacks and theft of information are essential, after all, sensitive data is very valuable to criminals and needs to have full attention.
According to data from the Office of Institutional Security of the Presidency of the Republic (GSI), incidents involving data leakage in government organizations are growing exponentially.
Executive agencies registered 989 cases, an average of 32 per day, the highest rate for the month of January in the last four years. That's why it's important for CISOs to develop strategies to keep government organizations safe from attack.
What are the cyber risks in government organizations?
Because they deal with sensitive data, government organizations face a number of cyber challenges that can jeopardize people's data integrity and a company's reputation in the marketplace.
These organizations are frequent targets of cyberattacks, such as criminal groups that aim to steal data, hackers who want to stabilize these services, and in some cases foreign nations with political and economic interests.
That way, if a security breach occurs, the consequences will be severe and can result in
· Leakage of confidential information;
· Interruption of essential services;
· Political destabilization;
· Compromise of national sovereignty.
That's why it's essential for CISOs to protect their systems and data from cyber threats. The following are some of the key risks for government organizations.
Theft of sensitive data
Government companies have information on thousands of people, data such as name, identification documents, address and even per capita income, if they fall into the wrong hands they can be used by criminals to commit scams.
Populations need to trust these companies and know that all their data is safe. In addition, the theft of this data can lead to large-scale privacy breaches and generate a series of losses for government organizations.
Cyber espionage attacks
Another very common risk is that foreign governments, criminal groups, and hackers target government organizations because they want to steal information such as policies, national security strategies, and trade secrets.
Espionage attacks are planned crimes that can generate a range of complications for national security and even international relations.
After all, we are not just talking about personal data, but information from a country that can be used for criminal purposes, terrorism or even political conflicts.
Interruption of public services
Cyberattacks generate interruptions in services, if for retail companies or industries this stoppage is already harmful, for government organizations this problem is even greater.
In January, exams and appointments at the National Cancer Institute (INCA) were canceled after a hacker attack on its systems, generating a series of inconveniences for its patients.
This is not an isolated case, attacks like this happen frequently and can put the operation of various services at risk.
Therefore, it is important for CISOs to create strategies focused on cybersecurity, many of these attacks could be prevented with an effective security policy that was able to mitigate the risks.
What are cyber risk mitigation strategies?
As we have seen, information security should be a concern for CISOs in government organizations, due to the high rates of attack, so their role is increasingly important.
After all, it is the responsibility of this professional to lead information security efforts, in addition to protecting digital assets and minimizing the risks of data breaches.
Cyber Risk Assessment
To create strategies that solve each team's problems and are effective, you need to assess the imminent risks to your organization. To do this, it is necessary to analyze data and understand how people are maturing.
This information is very important for risk mitigation strategies, after all, to combat attacks you need to know them, as this is essential to analyze vulnerabilities.
Raise awareness and train people
CISOs must ensure that all people who work or provide services to government organizations are made aware of cyber risks.
Cybersecurity-focused training represents an important step in risk mitigation.
You need to educate people on security best practices so that they understand the risks associated with sensitive data and information. Invest in regular training on the various subjects surrounding cybersecurity.
It is necessary to introduce issues related to digital security into people's daily lives, so that they know how to act in cases of real attacks.
Implement a security policy
For a government organization to mitigate the risks of attacks, it needs to implement a clear cybersecurity policy and establish guidelines on the proper use of secure systems, information, updates, and practices.
People need to be informed about safety actions and how they should act in each situation. In addition, with good communication and the implementation of a policy, everyone feels safer when reporting security incidents.
In this way, people can understand the importance of cybersecurity and how it is critical to keep government organizations safe.
Access management
As organizations deal with sensitive information, it is necessary to implement strict access management controls, so that only authorized people have access to this data.
For this to occur, it is important to monitor and audit the activities of the people who have access to this information to detect suspicious behavior.
In addition, it is necessary to reinforce the importance of secure passwords and information encryption systems, such as password managers.
In this way, the CISO ensures that only authorized people have access to the most critical information of government organizations.
Regular security updates
Many cyberattacks are due to a lack of updating in systems and software. That's why it's the CISO's responsibility to keep everyone informed about these updates.
Updates are made to fix security flaws, if the device is not updated it can have problems and your data can be corrupted putting everyone's security at risk.
Watch for updates to security patches, software, and configuration revisions. After all, criminals need only one chance to attack systems and steal information.
PhishX in Cyber Risk Mitigation Strategies
PhishX is an ecosystem specialized in cybersecurity, we bring security, privacy and compliance knowledge to everyone.
With our platform, everyone has access to this information on any communication channel, at any time, anywhere and on any device. This facilitates actions aimed at cybersecurity awareness.
Our ecosystem helps CISOs implement a security policy, because our platform has specialized training on the most diverse topics related to cybersecurity.
People can be informed about the risks of using weak passwords, the importance of keeping sensitive data safe because it is so important to mitigate risks.
On our platform, CISOs are also able to collect information and data based on training, which helps guide cybersecurity actions.
Through this data, it is possible to monitor the maturity of the team and understand how many people have taken the training, which of them are more susceptible to falling into attacks.
What makes all the difference to plan more effective cybersecurity actions, with the help of PhishX it is possible to educate people and introduce cybersecurity into their lives.
When CISOs of government organizations take preventive measures, raise awareness, and invest in security policies, they significantly reduce the risks of cyberattacks and protect their systems.
If you are a CISO in a government organization, contact our sales team, treat cybersecurity as a priority, and ensure that we protect the national interests and all people.
