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If government IT departments were to debate on key cybersecurity issues, one that likely keeps people up at night is how to help ensure their sensitive, often top-secret, data is secure when being sent in and out of their network. While there may be several candidates in the running to address this cybersecurity issue, a leading solution contender would be secure managed file transfer, which can protect data in transit, at rest, and throughout its lifecycle.
Related Reading: The Top 5 Reasons Why Government Agencies Need MFT
Government and Public Sector Data Security Needs
Just like those massive IRS forms, or contracts for the defense industry, the number of compliance regulations and cybersecurity policies government entities face can be overwhelming. However, most public sector agencies are entrusted with a lot of sensitive data and as such, need targeted and robust security measures in place.
An alphabet soup of compliance acts and regulations often requires the use of technical solutions to get and stay in compliance when it comes to protecting sensitive or personal data. Some of the compliance requirements government agencies need to address include:
- SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act): These requirements help ensure there is transparency in financial reporting and official checks, balances, and controls in place to prevent fraud. As a bonus, organizations doing business with the government and adhering to SOX security controls, whether required by law or implemented as best practice, benefit from a stronger stance against data security threats.
- HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): HIPAA sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data and applies to any government health-related agency or company that deals with protected health information (PHI) or ePHI.
- GLBA (Gramm Leach Bailey Act): This requirement impacts U.S financial institutions and governs the secure handling of non-public personal information including financial records. The Act requires the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and other financial regulating institutions to implement regulations to carry out the financial data privacy provisions of the GLBA.
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): This standard was created to increase controls over sensitive cardholder data and reduce fraud. It applies to any organization that processes credit or debit cards. Key concerns include encrypting data in transit and at rest, controlling access to cardholder data, and maintaining secure systems and networks. Government agencies have strict protocols around vendors they may purchase from and thus, abide by PCI DSS standards as part of doing business.
FISMA Rules Apply to Federal Agencies and Trading Partners
If the governmental agency is a federal one, they must abide by FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) requirements in addition to any other applicable compliance standards. Some state agencies as well as private sector organizations, contractors, and trading partners with government contracts also need to meet FISMA requirements.
FISMA compliance requires agencies to create, document, and implement a plan that ensures their information systems and data are kept secure. Whether a government agency or public organization or business, regularly reviewing the entity’s cybersecurity policy is key to getting and staying in compliance.
- Are the people identified as responsible for policy processes still the right people?
- Does your current policy cover the technologies and tools you’re currently using?
- Is your employee education plan still effective?
- Has access for employees or trading partners changed?
- Does it speak to compliance with government regulations?
- Is the data you need to protect being stored and transferred securely?
Related Reading: How to Revamp Your Cybersecurity Program
How Secure File Transfer Boosts Governmental Data Security
Government agencies implementing solutions to boost their cybersecurity, in particular their data security, should consider how managed file transfer (MFT) can protect data confidentiality as well as help these public sector organizations meet strict government compliance requirements.
With a robust MFT solution, like GoAnywhere MFT in place, agencies can address their primary concerns for file security, compliance auditing and reporting, as well as their needs to streamline and centralize how files move in and out of their organization to help reduce error-prone and time-consuming manual processes.
Agencies can better manage where their sensitive data ultimately moves and who can access it when GoAnywhere is paired with a digital rights management (DRM) solution. DRM allows government agencies to securely share files needed to conduct daily business externally with tailored control over file access. DRM can apply the protection needed when data travels outside of the organization’s network and can control rights of access at any time.
Related Reading: End-to-End Rights Management Made Simple with MFT
GoAnywhere Simplifies and Secures Government File Transfers
With the wheels of government churning rapidly via multitudes of individuals, solutions such as GoAnywhere that add security and simplicity to business processes are a huge plus. And with government agencies needing to meet strict National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, GoAnywhere’s encryption and decryption methods like Open PGP and FIPS 140-2-compliant AES and Triple DES algorithms offer a user-friendly way to fit the security bill.
GoAnywhere can flexibly support a wide variety of government agencies and their need to add security layers around their data and access to it and can:
- Run on popular platforms like Windows, Linux, Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, IBM i, and Docker
- Support secure protocols like FTPS, SFTP, and HTTP(S)
- Automate processes with Workflows, to help streamline and reduce human error
- Be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, via MFTaaS, or within a hybrid environment to meet the needs of today’s public sector agencies.
- Integrate with popular cloud applications applications
- Send encrypted messages and files over a secure HTTPS connection with Secure Mail
With auditing and reporting a huge component in ensuring compliance with various government security requirements, GoAnywhere can automatically track all file transfer activity with complete audit trails of all file transfer transactions and confirmation of successful file deliveries.
Related Reading: How GoAnywhere MFT Helps the Government Prioritize Data Security
The Best MFT Candidate for Government Data Security is GoAnywhere MFT
Government agencies can be confident that critical file transfers are secure, automated, and sent to completion with GoAnywhere. See for yourself with a free 15-, 30- or 60-minute demo.
