Cyber Everything: How U.S. Agencies Can Strengthen Resilience Against Attacks

It is not just early hurricanes, heat waves, and droughts we must worry about. A tumultuous cyber summer has descended upon us, marked by a surge in attacks against U.S. governmental agencies. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently confirmed that multiple federal agencies fell victim to intrusions resulting from the MOVEit vulnerability. Reports indicate that sensitive systems were compromised, and classified information was potentially exposed.

Government computing systems are fortified with extensive redundancies, contingencies, and numerous controls behind the scenes, which makes a cyber event within this domain deeply unsettling. A successful attack implies the involvement of well-resourced and highly skilled threat actors, typically driven by espionage, political, or economic motives. Their ability to breach government systems highlights their unwavering pursuit of sensitive information – and the urgent necessity for stronger cyber defenses for government entities. Beyond the government realm, it’s clear a fundamental paradigm shift is necessary to confront the evolving threat landscape effectively.

Agencies Are Not Alone

Every single industry confronts similar digital threats. This event illustrates that no one is immune to cyberthreats, and to say otherwise is intellectually dishonest. To adapt to today’s complex matrix of challenges and address imminent dangers ahead, organizations must collaborate and foster a cybersecurity-first mindset. We can take several long-term considerations from the onslaught against government agencies:

1. Public-Private Collaboration: Cybersecurity is unquestionably a shared responsibility, necessitating collaboration between governments, private sector entities, and cybersecurity experts. Establishing partnerships that facilitate information sharing, threat intelligence exchange, and joint incident response will strengthen our collective ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats effectively. The private sector can offer valuable lessons and technology to agencies, and vice versa.
2. Stronger International Cooperation: Like the internet itself, cyber threats transcend borders. This means effective mitigation requires global cooperation. Encouraging international collaboration through frameworks, treaties, and diplomatic efforts promotes the exchange of best practices, harmonizes cybersecurity standards, and facilitates joint investigations and prosecutions of cybercriminals.
3. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Cultivating a culture of continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and professional development empowers cybersecurity teams to remain vigilant and resilient in the face of emerging threats. As the cybersecurity landscape rapidly evolves, it’s necessary for professionals across organizations to stay informed, learn from incidents, and adapt their strategies accordingly.
4. Security by Design: Emphasizing the critical nature of this component, security must be embedded into every layer of our digital infrastructure. Adopting secure coding practices, conducting regular security assessments, and implementing secure configurations throughout networks, applications, and systems can help minimize vulnerabilities and reduce the attack surface.
5. Proactive Threat Intelligence: Organizations must invest in sophisticated threat intelligence capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats and anticipate potential attacks. Approaches including leveraging threat intelligence feeds, proactive threat hunting, and information sharing partnerships to provide valuable insights for effective threat detection and response.
6. Importance of Cyber Resilience: The targeted attack on the US government serves as a resounding call to action for investment in cyber resilience. While significant effort is often directed towards prevention, resilience should not be neglected. Cyber resilience encompasses not only preventative measures, but also incident response preparedness to ensure organizations can swiftly detect, contain, and recover from cyber incidents. Backups, procedures, and contingencies play a critical role in the recovery process.
7. Continuous Monitoring and Incident Response: Who’s watching the roost? Implementing advanced security monitoring solutions enables timely detection and response to cyber threats. Organizations should establish robust incident response plans, conduct regular exercises, and continuously evaluate and refine response capabilities to minimize the impact of incidents.

On the Other Side

The threat landscape is in a constant state of flux, demanding an unwavering commitment to cybersecurity at all organizational levels. As we reflect on the recent cyberattack targeting the US government, it becomes evident that such incidents will persist. This event serves as a potent reminder that defending against cyber threats is an ongoing battle.

To navigate this ever-changing landscape effectively, organizations and their leadership must embrace foundational security mindsets and leverage advanced technologies. Organizations and agencies of all sizes need to remain vigilant and dedicated to protecting increasingly valuable digital assets and critical infrastructure. Together, we can prioritize cybersecurity as an integral part of our collective mindset and fortify our defenses to build a resilient future. With a steadfast commitment to security, we can navigate the challenging cyber landscape with confidence and protect what matters most.