Today more than ever, government agencies depend on computers and electronics in order to effectively operate within their respective borders. Most governments, whether city, county, state or nationwide, have an extremely long holding period for sensitive, proprietary, or administration-critical data. Even though data tape are the most reliable medium for long-term data storage, they still need to be updated over time. When the computers, servers, and data storage centers need to be upgraded and replaced; it can be exhausting. More importantly, we are aware of the importance of data security when it comes to sensitive information on your used equipment. Sit back, relax, and let us help you with any upgrades and disposal of used data tapes and IT equipment.
Securing Critical Data
From Washington DC all the way down to your small-town mayor’s office, nothing is more important than data security. Even with the slightest risk of a data breach the consequences can be substantial. Since 1965, data security has been our number one priority. Our spotless reputation ensures transactions are handled efficiently, ethically, and securely from start to finish.
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The US Military and the IT Equipment
Advances in AI and ML have changed the way our military operates.
Read the blogA plan for guarding against ransomware in the public sector.
So what can IT departments on the local local, state, and national level do to guard against the threat of cyber attack on our governments? Â Here is a simple five-point plan that will go a long way to helping IT professionals in the public sector secure their defenses.
Stay up to date
Make sure that servers and PCs are up to date with the latest operating systems and antivirus solutions.
Retire unused IT assets
Consider if older machines, which are beyond updates or support, could be replaced or retired. The cost of doing so, and inconvenience of replacing older equipment will probably be less than the impact of a data breach.
Make sure everyone in the organization is familiar with ransomware methods and can recognize attempts to gain password credentials or circulate harmful links and attachments. Governments employ so many different and diverse professionals, covering a multitude of functions, that there needs to be a culture of vigilance across the entire organization.
Use different credentials for accessing backup storage and maybe even a mixture of file systems to isolate different parts of your infrastructure to slow the spread of ransomware. Government institutions that follow the “1-10-60” rule of cyber security will be better placed to neutralize the threat of a hostile adversary before it can leave its initial entry point. The most cyber-prepared organizations should aim to detect an intrusion in under a minute, perform a full investigation in under 10 minutes, and eradicate the adversary from the environment in under an hour.
Three copies of your data, on at least two different media, with one stored offsite (e.g. cloud or tape) and one stored offline (e.g. tape). Having your data behind a physical air gap creates perhaps the most formidable barrier against ransomware. Tape can greatly speed up your recovery in the hours and days that follow an attack, especially if your primary backups have been disrupted. Tape is also supremely efficient for storing huge amounts of infrequently accessed records for a very long time. Tapes can also be encrypted so that even if they did fall into the wrong hands, it would be impossible for thieves to access or use the data.