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    22Jun, 2023
    Government IT Spending: Don’t Get Caught in a Downward Spiral

    Municipalities and government agencies work for public welfare. Government agencies are responsible for executing legislative and administrative regulations within the communities and becoming a channel for the public to access government resources. However, most government departments and municipalities work on a limited budget. They constantly look for ways to utilize the minimum resources they have on welfare services. The current pandemic situation and financial crisis brought by it have further dried up the funds. In such a situation, the budget for federal IT solutions or CMMC MSP Virginia Beach is often the first to be cut. 

    According to a report by the IDC, only a fraction of the $3.8 trillion budget to combat the Covid-19 crisis will be utilized for government IT. The budget cuts will directly impact new investments in IT infrastructure. Ultimately, core IT services will have to take a blow from the fund shortage.

    This blog has discussed the adverse effects of lack of IT funding in municipalities and government agencies.

    1. The Effects of an Aging Infrastructure

    IT infrastructures have a life span of a couple of years. And as they age, their efficiency starts depleting. Such IT components also become vulnerable to downtime and data loss. Equipment may stop working efficiently due to no up-gradation. When hardware and software reach each of their life, they stop receiving support. These situations make the agency network vulnerable to problems like downtime and outages. Risk to government data and sensitive information is another problem faced by federal agencies that use aging infrastructure. Timely availability for vital services is necessary to manage the well-being of the constituents. With an aging infrastructure, government agencies may have trouble fulfilling their responsibilities.

    1. The Risk of Inadequate Data Protection

    Disaster recovery and backup technologies are some of the essential government IT solutions. Backup and disaster recovery allow businesses and government organizations to continue their services in the event of data loss. However, federal budget cuts mean fewer resources for improved and robust data backup strategies. For agencies that are under constant threat from hackers and cybercriminals, disaster recovery strategies are the only way to prevent the consequences of data loss.

    DoD companies should practice the 3-2-1 data backup rule. According to this rule, organizations should have at least three copies of their files on at least two types of storage systems, and one should be stored off-site. For proper implementation of the backup strategy, investment in backup storage capacity and data center is necessary.

    1. Falling Behind on Cybersecurity

    Cybersecurity is that one area no government agencies should overlook. Cybersecurity technologies safeguard the organization and its data from cybercriminals. With sloppy cybersecurity measures, it can be impossible to protect the crucial data and prevent people from becoming prey to cybercriminals.

    In situations like ransomware attacks, disaster recovery and backup strategies allow an organization to recover from the damage. Ransomware attacks cost millions and billions to the government even if they refuse to pay the money to the attackers. With a sound backup and data recovery strategy, one can prevent the spiraling cost of recovering the data and putting the system back after a breach.…

    22Nov, 2022
    Domain Requirements for CMMC Compliance Checklist

    Since 2018, in the U.S., every contractor and subcontractor who deals in Controlled Unclassified Information or CUI must comply with NIST SP 800 171. According to the compliance requirements, the contractors can self-assess their data security systems or go for a third-party evaluation. This led to only a few vendors across the Defense Industrial Base become DFARS compliant. CMMC cybersecurity or Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model is a way devised by the U.S. government to fix the compliance problem. Since CMMC is fairly new, DoD contractors should hire CMMC consulting firms.

    CMMC certification is not optional. Instead, every business wanting to win government contracts with the DoD should have CMMC certification. Contractors and subcontractors working under the U.S. government are different from one another. Thus, the CMMC model addresses every Defense Industrial Base vendor that deals with CUI. 

    The CMMC compliance model comprises 17 domains. Each domain has set of capabilities for data security. A majority of these domains have been taken out from the FIPS 200 and NIST SP 800 171. 

    In this blog, we will look into each of the domains in the CMMC model and how to comply with the regulation. 

    • Access Control 

    It’s essential to establish who can access your system, who has the authority to control internal access to the system, and limit access to the data. 

    • Asset Management

    Asset management involves locating, identifying, and taking inventory of the assets of a company. 

    • Audit & Accountability

    To comply with the audit and accountability control, the company should have a process that can track the users with access to the CUI. It’s also essential to have a mechanism to audit the logs to ensure accountability. 

    • Awareness & Training

    The compliance requirement states that one should have a provision for security awareness training for all the personnel. 

    • Configuration Management

    One should establish baselines for the configuration of the systems to check if they are working efficiently or not.

    • Identification & Authentication

    As per CMMC compliance, ensure the proper roles within your organization have the correct level of access and can be authenticated for reporting and accountability purposes. 

    The identification and authentication control necessitates that every person in the organization has a defined role and level of access to the system. There should be a proper channel to authenticate the roles for reporting purposes. 

    • Incident Response

    The company should create an incident response plan that can detect and report cyber breach incidents and implement responses against the incident. 

    • Maintenance

    The new cybersecurity compliance requires a company to have a maintenance system for the effective operation of systems. 

    • Media Protection

    According to the compliance norms, the company must provide proof that its media is adequately marked for ease of access. Besides this, one should be able to prove that they have taken all necessary protocols to protect, sanitize, and transport the media. 

    • Personnel Security

    You must make sure that all the personnel within your organization are thoroughly screened. The compliance requirement states that a company should provide evidence that Controlled Unclassified Information is protected at all times. 

    • Physical Protection

    The compliance norms require that the company provide evidence that the assets are well protected through robust physical security. …

    22Nov, 2022
    How to Achieve Business and IT Alignment?

    Most organizations will agree that they experience difficulties aligning IT strategies with their business goals. Many times, businesses have to make tough decisions and sacrifice essential things along the way. However, the real challenge is in identifying processes that are essential for the business. Balancing between IT needs and business continuity involves a thorough evaluation and assessment of risks to the business. This will allow you to make informed IT decisions. When it comes to implementing new IT strategies into your business, you rely on the expertise of MSP company. 

    In this blog, we have highlights some tips through which you can effectively streamline IT strategies with your business goals. 

    1. Know the effect of misalignment 

    Very often, the IT department has to cut corners due to the unavailability of funds and resources. Software or program that benefits the organization today may become useless in the future. Sometimes, the IT department has to delay updating software to prolong the life of the IT assets. However, such measures can create a security gap and make the organization vulnerable to data breaches and attacks. 

    Poor IT and business goal misalignment will harm the business, but it will also negatively impact how the end-users consume the IT. If an organization’s IT team is not scalable to address such issues, the consequences will reflect on the business revenue. 

    1. Know the difference between bleeding edge and leading edge.

    Whether you aim to align your IT or make a transition from one MSP to another, having a robust strategy is essential. In contrast, one may think that investing in the latest IT solutions and services company will open the door for progress and revenue. However, it must be noted that technologies come with a hefty price tag. Moreover, new technologies are untested. Therefore, using one generation old iteration is still better than investing in a technology that is yet to be vetted. 

    1. Standardization 

    Proper alignment requires standardization of the process. Standardization will allow you to bring your entire team on the same page. However, standardization doesn’t mean sticking to one IT solution or preferring one brand. Instead, it means setting the right standards for building IT infrastructure and functionality that can create harmony amongst different IT components. 

    1. Set the Timeline

    Having a timeline for IT alignment and sticking to it is a must for the proper execution of the process. The timeframe for IT alignment should be in line with the needs of other departments and the business’s future goals. In its initial years, a company will require IT infrastructure and standards that can sustain business growth. Both external and internal factors influence an organization. Top managers should identify external factors that may affect the IT alignment process. 

    IT alignment requires deliberate planning and practical execution skills. Teams can only work on IT alignment if they present at the same place. Every business has its own set of IT requirements. If your industry is consolidating, your IT needs will be different than the large ones. Thus, it’s essential to first analyze your business needs and goals before going ahead with IT alignment.…