Federal CIOs have an extremely large and complex workload, which is more difficult as data storage mediums continue to change and evolve. To keep important data secure and accounted for, these government leaders should keep a few key points in mind, according to James Yeager, Federal Director for Tanium.
In his third podcast with Federal Technology Insider, Yeager discusses how CIOs keep information secure in today’s rapidly evolving IT environment and as the need for increased data storage multiplies exponentially. A major imperative is that all CIOs must have is situational awareness.
A successful CIO must be able to identify, manage and secure data, but sometimes that is difficult in situations where legacy systems and lack of insight hinder effective data management. In those situations, a CIO must understand how to limit interaction with infrastructure through containment of data. This becomes increasingly important in today’s attack environment, in which agencies must realize that the approach isn’t “If we get attacked,” but, rather, “When we get attacked.”
In recent high-profile attacks, Yeager says, “There was a lack of an effective plan for how the organization responded under duress.” Therefore, urgency becomes necessary. According to Yeager, government spending should be focused towards tools that can act with urgency as well as sustainability. While some tools can act with unprecedented speed, they will prove ineffective for government agencies because they are unable to sustain that speed at the scale of large government operation.
Hear what Yeager has to say about cybersecurity at government agencies in his podcast.
Want to listen to Yeager’s other podcasts?
HOW FITARA IS IMPROVING THE FEDERAL CYBER SECURITY LANDSCAPE
IT MODERNIZATION AND THE BATTLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING
