Most discussions on cybersecurity focus on prevention, but not cyber defense. But, the unfortunate reality is, some attacks will be successful no matter how well you’ve protected your networks. The question then becomes, just how quickly can you get back online and back to business?
For the Government Technology Insider podcast, we asked Dr. Mike Lloyd, Chief Technology Officer for RedSeal about how to achieve “digital resilience” – the ability to prepare for and recover from a cyber attack.
Lloyd explained that an important part of the equation is your mindset. Commercial firms tend to approach these issues from the perspective of limiting the impact to revenue and the health of the company. They also tend to be optimistic; that is, focused on what happens when things go right.
For government agencies, essential services have to be always-available; as the effect on national security and citizen services is too great. Lloyd said that government agencies, by the very nature of their mandates, are focused on preparing for disaster. He cited FEMA and DHS as prime examples, and of course, the military’s job is to achieve the mission “even though you’re taking blows.”
Lloyd’s prescription is a three-part approach: limit your potential for damage, by being harder to hit; detect quickly when a breach or incident has occurred; and plan to recover rapidly. He provided details on just what that means in Part 1 of this two-part discussion. Listen to Part 1 here, and be sure to come back for Part 2:
