All 574 federally recognized tribes in America now have a legal mandate over the sovereignty of their data, even in the cloud. While this enables your Tribal Government to determine how its data is collected, stored, and used, robust cyber resilience at the organizational level is still a huge challenge. Read on to get some cybersecurity best practices that could help keep your tribe's data safe.
Why Cybersecurity Is Important for Tribal Governments
Like numerous other types of organizations, Tribal Governments handle a wealth of data, from financial information to consumer data, which should be protected. However, unlike private businesses, tribes have to balance the security of their members' data and operations with the cultural preservation of their people. These organizations also face increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats, and prioritizing effective protective mechanisms is crucial to maintaining cultural autonomy.
4 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Tribal Governments
Below are some top actions to strengthen your tribal government's cybersecurity strategy.
1. Train Team Members
Human error is one of the major causes of network security breaches. This is why it’s so important to educate employees about cybersecurity. Employees in all sectors of your organization need to undergo periodic comprehensive training to better identify, mitigate, and respond to cybersecurity attacks.
2. Assess Your Processes
Periodic evaluation of your Tribal Government's cybersecurity posture and training efforts will help unearth crucial gaps and establish a foundation for future progress monitoring. You can use free resources such as the Cyber Resilience Review and Infrastructure Survey Tool from the Department of Homeland Security to know how to better spot and document your organization's cyber resilience.
3. Evolve and Adapt to Changes
Cybersecurity is not an issue that can be dealt with once and for all. It evolves constantly based on factors like technological advancement and law enforcement strategies. Using AI tools to strengthen your networks is essential since cybercriminals are already using them to enhance their breach activities. Furthermore, use every other resource at your disposal to get updated knowledge and defense mechanisms that can help you evolve in this rapidly changing threat environment.
4. Create a Cybersecurity Plan
Your Tribal Government needs a properly structured blueprint that details the basic, foundational, and organizational cybersecurity controls. This plan should include tactics geared toward protecting organizational data, detecting threats, and responding to cyber incidents. You can start by reviewing these best practices formulated to help governmental bodies combat attacks on state, local, tribal, and territorial levels.
Keep Your Tribal Government Data Safe With OneTribe
In the world of dynamic cyber threats, your Tribal Government needs to stay vigilant and adaptable. The cybersecurity best practices above can help you get started on building a powerful defense strategy that helps to protect against a wide variety of attacks. You must also stay abreast of new developments to maintain a proactive security approach. Contact us to learn about OneTribe and how it can help you keep your Tribal Government data safe.
