Strengthening Internet of Things Security at the Federal, Local, and Consumer Level

"Our world is more connected than ever." This phrase can be interpreted in many ways, one being the growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Traditional materials and devices, including bridges, streetlights, water processing machines, home refrigerators, and even our doorbells, are now connected to the internet and to users who need to track how they are functioning. However, this cyber connection also means that these devices are open for others to access and use in ways we never envisioned.

Cybersecurity practices must now extend to non-cyber products to ensure that operational technology does not compromise information technology or the networks that connect them. In fact, 1.5 billion attacks were launched against IoT devices in a single year.

Efforts to secure IoT devices must happen across all levels of users, from the federal government through state and local agencies to even citizen consumers. Continue reading

Putting a Value on Trust — Introducing Zero Trust Security Approaches

With so many high-profile hacks this year, it's easy to want to throw up your hands and say, "Is there nothing that can be trusted?!" Interestingly, that lament is what is driving the latest approach to cybersecurity -- zero trust. Zero trust is what it sounds like, a security approach centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything accessing their systems either inside or outside their perimeters. Instead, all people and devices must be verified before access is granted. To the untrained eye, this seems untenable. How, in this day and age, when we depend on digital information and connection to do most anything, can we use a process where we have to constantly verify identity and access permissions? Luckily, the practice of zero trust is more sophisticated than its premise.

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Mission Focused Defense Intelligence WorldWide Conference: 8-10 April 2013 in Baltimore MD

Originally posted by  on CTOvision

The Department of Defense's most elegant missions require advanced technologies exquisitely operated by highly trained professionals. This is especially true of intelligence missions, where complex situations involving threats to the nation must be assessed and acted upon quickly.

One of the critically important mechanisms used by planners in DoD intelligence to collaborate and coordinate with each other and with extended mission partners (including industry) is the Defense Intelligence Worldwide Conference, which will be held 8-10 April in Baltimore MD.

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Improved Collaboration Tools Ranked In Top 3 of Critical Initiatives for CIOs

Posted by Adobe

Asked about key IT initiatives from 2012, CIOs ranked improving collaboration tools third -- behind cloud services and virtualization. Collaboration concerns beat out big data and analytics, application consolidation, security and risk management, and a host of other key IT initiatives.

Understandable considering it directly contributes to these issues - mostly security and risk management.

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VIDEO: Leading Trends in Information Technology from ITSAF 2012

Originally posted by on Aol Government

VIDEO: Leading Trends in Information Technology
Secretary Ramos opens the 2012 IT Security Awareness Fair with a welcome to the Government ISO community. He addresses some of the challenges that Government faces protecting important information while still providing services at an exceptional level as well as the leading trends in the Information Technology environment.

For more expert analysis, discussion and debate about the innovative ideas at work in the public sector, visit AOL Gov.