Executive Summary
U.S. Federal Government Cybersecurity operates some of the world’s largest and most complex digital networks, but many of them rely on older, legacy technology for critical operations. Add to this the fact that the federal government is highly targeted by nation-state adversaries and traditional criminals alike, and the need for comprehensive cybersecurity protection is readily apparent. Fortinet provides a platform that enables end-to-end integration of an agency’s security architecture and a broad suite of security and networking tools that address multiple use cases. An integrated security infrastructure allows for true automation of security processes, from detection to remediation.
The U.S. federal government is massive, with more than 2 million full-time employees and hundreds of thousands of contractors who access electronic resources.2 Some agencies within the federal government maintain some of the world’s largest IT networks. Achieving an adequate level of cybersecurity protection at this scale would be a challenge at any organization. But the federal government owns some of the world’s most sensitive—and coveted—data. And compromised systems could lead to disastrous consequences—for national security, the economy, and technological innovation.
Adversaries seeking to infiltrate federal government systems have a variety of motivations. Nation-state actors actively conduct cyber warfare, and they have been stepping up their game in recent years.3 These adversaries attempt to steal national security secrets, take critical infrastructure offline, interfere in elections, and conduct industrial espionage.