EO-Ready Best Practices for Cybersecurity The Biden administration’s EO on cybersecurity may become a before-and-after moment in the history of government cybersecurity.
That does not mean the EO will not matter to everyday Americans. Across every layer of the
nation’s public sector, government employees can make a difference in cybersecurity—that does not just benefit their agencies. Someday their cybersecurity contributions may aid the private sector and constituents, too.
The main takeaway governments should have from the new EO is that all their employees can
play their part in safeguarding national cybersecurity. Whether an entry-level hire or an agency leader, no role is too small to lend a hand.
Here are eight ways — two for each category of government employee discussed here — to
bolster U.S. cybersecurity from coast to coast. These tips are inspired by the federal, state and local thought leaders in this guide.
Rank-and-File Personnel
2. Stay informed. Cybersecurity never stops morphing.
1. Embody skepticism. With cybersecurity, every government employee can approach their work with more caution. No one wants to make their agency a cyberattack statistic, but the truth is even small security
informed about this critical topic should consider every training available to them. Even basic
lessons about topics the EO covers — like cloud security — can prevent painful experiences.
missteps can become big incidents.
As a result, all government workers should be wary of potential cybersecurity traps such as
suspicious emails. Another place for constant
vigilance is possible technology vulnerabilities. Whether these potential flaws reside in
applications, IT networks or elsewhere, spotting them early can avoid costly security incidents.
Ultimately, any employee can contribute toward
better cybersecurity by avoiding suspicious links, email attachments and other possible pitfalls. 40
Government employees who want to stay
Although such cybersecurity education is
useful, not every government employee has the energy, money or time for classes. One alternative is following cybersecurity news
such as relevant EOs when the opportunity
presents itself. Another solution is getting the
gist of subjects like the latest cybersecurity EO
from trusted coworkers. Ultimately, even novice
cybersecurity knowledge is better than nothing at all.
A GovLoop Guide
