Government contractors are typically less digitally secure than the federal agencies they’re contracting with, according to a study from the cybersecurity ratings firm BitSight.
Health care, defense and aerospace contractors demonstrated better security than other categories in the study, while engineering, technology and manufacturing contractors came in last.
The average scores for all those contractor categories underperformed the average score for federal agencies. The study, however, was based largely on public information and a type of internet scanning of 1,212 contractors and 122 agencies.
Contractors frequently manage sensitive data, including citizens’ personal information, on behalf of agencies. A 2014 breach of the contractor USIS, for example, compromised the security clearances of Homeland Security department employees.
Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2018/02/federal-agencies-more-secure-contractors-study-finds/146003/
GTPAC has developed an instructional video and a template to help contractors comply with Defense Department cybersecurity rules. Find these resources at: http://gtpac.org/cybersecurity-training-video/
