Cybercrime is an aplenty issue on the news, and there’s an unending variety of threats that emerge daily. Private, public, and business sectors are all targeted in alarming numbers. The attacks continue to rage on many who wonder what government officials the U.S. government will ensure that American businesses are secure and what companies can do.
The U.S. Government’s Role In Cybersecurity
Before the year 2020 in the past before 2020, the U.S. government took a more passive role in cybersecurity for businesses. But the rise in cybercrime in the past couple of years has forced the administration to adopt a firm approach to cybercrime and come up with radical solutions to aid both individuals and businesses in keeping secure.
A recent decision included Biden Biden administration to allocate $2 trillion to improve the resilience of infrastructure and security measures, including a variety of cybersecurity. The plan is to treat ransomware as a type of terrorist act. The majority of the recommendations are directly from a report in 2020 from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
Setting Cybersecurity Standards
It is the U.S. government that sets the guidelines for cybersecurity. However, as evident by the number of attacks against state and federal agencies– including the SolarWinds attack, which alone affected more than 100 businesses and nine government agencies it’s not clear if the standards set by the government are sufficient. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the F.C.C. give businesses guidance to ensure that their networks are secure equipment, hardware, and software.
Grants/Incentives For Companies To Bolster Their Defenses
The U.S. Small Business Association (S.B.A.) recently announced that the organization offers 3 million grants to help small businesses boost their cybersecurity protections in Biden’s Infrastructure Law (B.I.L.). Small companies were harmed by cyberattacks in the Covid-19 outbreak and are still prime for an attack.
Free Resources Available For Cybersecurity
The CISA offers both individuals and businesses free tools to secure privacy and security. The tools available to companies that I believe are the most useful are:
- *The Small And Midsize Business Toolkit The toolkit is designed to assist you in assessing your security level and guarding against attacks.
- Protect Your Network: This is an introduction by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team and includes tips for securing your network.
- The publication from the F.T.C. provides information about cybersecurity compliance.
- Tips from the NCSA guide provide guidelines on how to protect your data, systems, and your privacy from cyber-attacks
- CISA Notifications This subscription service warns you of the emergence of threats.
Imposing Rules, Regulations, And Sanctions
The U.S. government also sets the rules, regulations, and punishments for cybercrime. The principal law regulating cybercrime is called the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). This law covers a wide variety of issues, such as trojans, hacking, phishing, ransomware, viruses, malware identity theft, use of software or hardware to be a cybercriminal, and unauthorized penetration testing.
Presently in the present, it is currently the U.S. government strongly discourages companies from paying the ransom and could eventually punish companies for failing to pay.
What are the reasons why U.S. cybersecurity safeguards fail?
Although it appears that the U.S. government is finally working to fix the weaknesses in our security infrastructure, specific security experts believe that they are far from the desired goal. At the same time, I think the policies are a possibility of success, but it’s taking time to put them into place. At the same time, cybercriminals are always looking to defy protections and develop new methods for gaining access.
How does America U.S. compare with other nations?
Other countries, like Europe, have more stringent security laws and guidelines to ensure the security of businesses. For instance, in Europe, the E.U. (European Union) enforces legislation that requires companies to take specific security procedures to protect private data secure. However, for America, the U.S., it’s optional.
Furthermore, there is a preference for the E.U. places a high value on security certification. Security services and products must be certified for business. Security standards are far more stringent than those in the U.S. Europe has developed sophisticated I.D. and trust services. The U.S. is indeed far behind in the field of technology.
In 2018 in 2018, each U.S. and E.U. assembled government cybersecurity agencies to supervise crucial infrastructure security and protection. The E.U. established its agency, the E.U. Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), while the U.S. formed Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) to accomplish similar goals.
How Companies Can Stay Safe
Whether you seek advice or consult the U.S. government for cybersecurity assistance, there are various ways to strengthen your security. The tips below are similar to my previous article about preventing data exposure by accident.
- Hire experts in cybersecurity who can conduct pen-testing authorized by the government to find vulnerabilities within your systems.
- Educate all employees on the best cybersecurity practices. A network’s security is as secure as the weakest link.
- Make use of 24/7 monitoring and firewalls to find and prevent any threats.
- Employ the best hardware, software, and antivirus/antimalware protection you can afford.
- Check third-party vendors’ credentials and their security protocols carefully before using them.
- Don’t send personal information by email. Inform employees not to divulge personal information without permission.
- Don’t click on links in text messages or emails from non-trusted sources
- Establish strict guidelines throughout the organization regarding passwords. You may want to consider using two-factor verification (2FA) and biometrics as authentication based on the specific application.
- Develop a strict no-trust policy for all connected devices and mobile phones.
- Backups should be kept in the event of an attack and the necessity to restore.
While it’s true that the U.S. government is making efforts to improve security for American enterprises, it’s your responsibility to ensure your assets. Make sure you are taking care of cybersecurity for yourself as well as your employees, your company as well as your vendors and customers. Your business’s success depends upon the safety of your information and networks.
