Protecting teleworkers and federal data from ransomware

The shift to remote work during the pandemic has given ransomware attackers a wider foothold to exploit IT vulnerabilities, forcing federal IT leaders to build new trust mechanisms and develop stronger safeguards to secure their data, say security experts in a new FedScoop podcast. The sudden increase in personal computing devices connecting to agency networks — and the ability to compromise the home networks they dial in from — have made it easier for ransomware hackers to find pathways into agency data systems. Building a comprehensive protection strategy around those additional endpoints and ensuring data is properly stored and protected are critical steps for agencies to take now, according to Mike Malaret, director of sales engineering for defense and intelligence communities at Veritas Technologies. But he and Veritas colleagues Barry Levine, director federal healthcare and civilian strategic programs, and Senior Director Dave Cerjan, also stress the importance of having modern data backup and recovery systems in place, so that in the event that ransomware attacks do occur, agencies have the means to isolate their backup data in order to recover quickly. Sponsored by Veritas Technologies and Carahsoft. Guests: Barry Levine, Director, Federal Healthcare, Veritas Technologies Dave Cerjan, Senior Director, Civilian Strategic Programs, Veritas Technologies Mike Malaret, Director, Sales Engineering, Defense and Intelligence Communities, Veritas Technologies Host: Wyatt Kash, SVP, Content Strategy, Scoop News Group Look for more coverage of “IT Security in Government” on www.fedscoop.com/listen