A division of the Information Technology Industry Council has provided President-elect Donald Trump with several recommendations to help build up the cybersecurity posture of federal agencies.The IT Alliance for Public Sector asked Trump in a letter published Thursday to direct agencies to develop an inventory of information technology systems, software and hardware and determine those that are susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities within 90 days, ITIC said Friday.
ITAPS also recommends for the incoming administration to establish a “tech-savvy workforce†through provision of cyber training opportunities to government personnel.
The organization also called on Trump to work with Congress to facilitate reforms in the federal IT acquisition system, such as the expansion of support for the Section 809 panel, adoption of proposals that seek to create IT funding flexibility and review of procurement regulations.
Trey Hodgkins, senior vice president for public sector at ITAPS, said the federal government spent 80 percent of the total IT expenditures worth $80 billion on the maintenance of “vulnerable†IT platforms in 2015.
“We believe that achieving government-wide cybersecurity is dependent on two other imperatives: IT modernization and acquisition overhaul,†Hodgkins wrote.
“Without them, ‘cybersecurity’ can be no more than a tagline.â€
