Why DHS needs better mobile security than other agencies

By: Justin Lynch

As hackers become more sophisticated, the top IT officer at the Department of Homeland Security says he needs better mobile security features compared to other U.S. government agencies.

The Department of Homeland Security “really operates differently than [the Department of Defense]. We are a very mobile organization, so my attack vectors are out there,” said John Zangardi during the Billington Cybersecurity summit Sept. 7. “We are out there on our mobile devices all day long, and that's not the case with DoD.”

Zangardi would know. He previously served as the Pentagon's acting chief information officer from October 2016 to November 2017.

In the 2017 Homeland Security industry guide, which lays out the department's investment opportunities, the agency said it was looking to secure communication systems and monitor cyberthreats in mobile devices. Homeland Security has also invested in research to ensure Android phones are secure and is planning to study end-to-end cellphone call encryption.

Zangardi said the IT industry is going through an “inflection point” that is being driven by a faster rate of innovation, bolstered digital threats from nation-states and a greater demand for consumer expectations.

Full article: https://www.fifthdomain.com/civilian/dhs/2018/09/10/why-dhs-needs-better-mobile-security-than-other-agencies