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Government data breaches are increasing, both in quantity and, perhaps more importantly, in scope.
The average number of records involved in each government data breach has more than quadrupled from 17,400 records in 2019 to 71,534 last year, according to research from FOIA.gov. As cyber threats evolve, expect to see more records compromised. Government agencies are seeing more compliance violations as a result — which in turn means greater financial costs to the organizations.
Source: FOIA.gov
The cost of the breaches from 2014 through 2022 has totaled an estimated $26 billion, the report noted. Government agencies already operate on tight budgets, and these costs are ultimately borne by taxpayers — but beyond monetary impact, government agencies have their constituents’ livelihoods and well-being to consider. And importantly, a government data breach can mean a loss of trust in government entities — impairing the government’s ability to function and serve citizens.
All these government data breaches mean that information security is increasingly important to keep agencies functioning well. Yet government entities rarely have the technology staff to adequately address their data security needs, which can include dealing with aging infrastructure and technology to budget constraints. So how do you address these challenges?
The right technology partner can help.
3 Security Challenges Facing Government Agencies
Government agencies face many hurdles to protect sensitive and confidential information throughout the entire eDiscovery lifecycle, including:
1. Evolving Data Security Requirements
CloudSEK has reported that the number of cyberattacks targeting government sectors increased by 95% worldwide in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. This sharp uptick is indicative of the evolving ingenuity and proliferation of cybercrime. To keep up with criminals, jurisdictions continuously issue new cybersecurity guidance. Reports note that since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was implemented in 2018, data privacy regulations have increased across the globe.
Currently, five states have enacted data privacy laws and 35 U.S. states are currently considering data privacy regulations. California is one of five states with data privacy laws, and the provisions of the 2018 California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have recently been amended with additional privacy protections under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which went into effect in January and significantly amends and expands the CCPA. While good news for privacy, compliance with the new laws poses several hurdles for government agencies with already-stretched resources.
A trusted technology partner such as Casepoint, however, can tailor solutions for an agency that meet budgetary requirements and comply with cybersecurity policies and laws.
2. Adoption Bottlenecks
Government organizations often move slowly when it comes to technology adoption because of approval needs, budget constraints, and a greater level of risk aversion than in the private sector. Government agencies don’t often have the resources to execute quick decision-making the way the well-staffed, well-funded private sector might. This inhibits their ability to quickly onboard security solutions that could help them accelerate adherence to evolving data security requirements.
But when partnered with a mature information services team such as Casepoint, that team can help agencies speed processing and accelerate adherence to evolving cybersecurity requirements.
3. Data Influx
The growing use of off-premises cloud technology means more and more data enters agency cloud environments. Data volume also increases as agency systems incorporate more endpoints — including tablets, smartphones, and laptops. In the work-from-anywhere era, these endpoints and the data they generate also need to be secured.
Not only do these challenges make it harder for government agencies to protect data with confidence, but they also prevent agencies from innovating and collaborating internally and externally. For example, many agencies not only employ different procedures or types of systems, but their technology systems also can’t communicate with one another. This results in slowed processing, increased time to completion, data traffic jams, and higher costs.
When a trusted partner such as Casepoint helps tailor a solution that results in speedier, automated processing; cross-collaborations; and improved communications, however, it allows those agencies to better protect data and improve collaboration — possibly leading to innovations.
How to Address These Challenges with the Right Technology Partner
To adequately protect themselves against cyber damage, agencies should seek out technology providers that can offer:
- The ability to move to the cloud with proactive security protocols
- A single platform that consolidates tools for all use cases
- Secure data transfer, reducing the risk for data corruption
- An easy-to-use interface so workers can quickly collect and process crucial data
- Support for interoperability in the cloud, which will help agencies respond to and detect security breaches faster
- Templates, self-service features, and configurable workflows so agencies can customize and automate processes
- Pricing models aligned with the limited budgets typical of government entities
- In-house experts who understand the nuances of government software implementation
Reduce Government Data Breaches with Casepoint
So how do you accelerate the adoption of sophisticated technology solutions that meet government agencies’ data security needs? That’s where opting for an eDiscovery provider such as Casepoint comes in. Casepoint commits significant resources to data security and makes it a focal point of its culture. The company has already achieved the authorizations and certifications government agencies need to securely manage data in the cloud.
Casepoint is the first eDiscovery cloud provider to become FedRAMP-authorized, the first certified at the highest level of DoD IL5 security clearance, and the first to reach more than 250 terabytes of data processed for any government agency. Casepoint’s eDiscovery platform enables government agencies to complete legal workflows more efficiently and securely while increasing speed and efficiency across all regulatory, investigative, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and legal discovery needs.
With the proven ability to meet complex onboarding and operational requirements — including massive data volumes and thousands of users — Casepoint is the choice of government agencies looking to secure their data in the cloud.
Learn more in our whitepaper, “Navigating the Top 5 eDiscovery Challenges for Government Agencies,” or get in touch with our government experts today.
