Page 130 - Cyber Defense eMagazine February 2024

Will We Ever See Federal Data Breaches End

Entirely?

Government cybersecurity may get worse before it gets better.

By April Miller, Managing Editor, ReHack Magazine

Data breaches are a problem in virtually every industry. However, they carry extra weight when they
happen to federal agencies. Cyberattacks on government organizations can cause widespread damage
— even endangering public safety — and they remain dangerously common.

The federal government is no stranger to cybersecurity best practices. There’s an entire agency devoted
to it, and many of the strictest security laws apply specifically to government bodies. Yet, with all this
attention, federal data breaches still happen. Here’s a closer look at why that is. Will they ever end?

The State of Federal Cybersecurity Today

U.S. government agencies experienced more than 32,000 cybersecurity incidents in 2021. In response,
the Government Accountability Office recommended over 4,000 changes for federal organizations to

Cyber Defense eMagazine – February 2024 Edition 130
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