Public sector & government

Secure public services

In the public sector, safeguarding digital infrastructure is directly tied to protecting citizens and national interests. Cyberattacks targeting government systems can lead to data breaches, disrupted public services and weakened trust. As threats evolve and systems grow more complex, ensuring continuity and rapid recovery becomes a critical mission. From local institutions to national agencies, the stakes include not just operational resilience, but national security itself.

Key Security Challenges:

• Ensuring continuous compliance with stringent government security standards (ISO 27001, NIST, NIS2, GDPR).

• Protecting sensitive governmental and citizen data from internal misuse and external cyber threats.

• Detecting and mitigating advanced persistent threats (APT) and sophisticated insider threats.

With the advanced capabilities of Cyberquest SIEM, CQ Automation, Netalert NDR, CQ Threat Intelligence and CQ AI Assistant, public entities can take control of their cybersecurity posture, protecting what matters most with confidence and clarity.

Scenario:

A government department responsible for managing sensitive citizen records and critical national infrastructure must ensure compliance with NIS2 and GDPR regulations while defending against sophisticated internal and external threats. Utilizing Cyberquest, the department instantly accesses detailed, readily available compliance reports for ISO 27001, NIST, NIS2 and GDPR. Simultaneously, Cyberquest’s integrated UEBA flags an insider account exhibiting unusual data access patterns. The platform maps the activity directly to specific MITRE ATT&CK techniques, triggering automated response playbooks that quickly isolate the compromised account, secure sensitive data and generate complete audit trails for incident reporting and regulatory transparency.

Why Cyberquest?

Built-in mapping of cyber threats to the MITRE ATT&CK framework allows security teams to quickly understand and counteract advanced threat actor behaviors.
Out-of-the-box compliance reports for ISO 27001, NIST, NIS2 and GDPR deliver immediate regulatory visibility and simplify ongoing audits.
Advanced UEBA module proactively identifies anomalous user behaviors and suspicious activities, rapidly mitigating insider threats and unauthorized access attempts.

Top 5 Concerns

Citizen data protection

Disrupted citizen services

Evolving threats & system complexity

National security threats

Operational disruptions & recovery

Citizen data protection

Public sector agencies manage large volumes of sensitive citizen data, including health, financial and legal personal records. With NIS2 compliance mandates, safeguarding this data against breaches is a top priority. Failure to protect citizen information can lead to privacy violations, legal penalties and erosion of public trust.

Protect citizen data. Automate compliance, enhance security and ensure continuous monitoring and incident response.

Key Dangers & Risks

    
            Data breaches. Unauthorized access to sensitive data can damage reputations and lead to legal action.

    
            Non-compliance fines. Failing to meet NIS2 compliance requirements results in heavy penalties.

    
            Public trust loss. Data mishandling reduces citizen confidence in government services.

Disrupted citizen services

Public sector organizations face growing pressure to deliver reliable services to citizens. Cyberattacks on government platforms, from social services to emergency response systems, can disrupt these essential services. Service downtime compromises public well-being and erodes trust in government institutions.

Ensure resilience. Optimize systems, monitor services in real-time and deploy proactive threat detection for uninterrupted service.

Key Dangers & Risks:

    
            Service downtime. Cyberattacks can disable critical services, affecting public access to essential resources.

    
            Operational disruption. Attacks on key public systems can halt government processes.

    
            Reputation damage. Continuous disruptions may cause citizens to lose faith in government efficiency.

Evolving threats & system complexity

The increasing complexity of technology stacks in the public sector—spanning on-premises, cloud and hybrid systems—creates more attack surfaces. The evolving nature of cyber threats requires constant vigilance and a cohesive response. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting system vulnerabilities and advancing their attack strategies.

Simplify security. Integrate tools, streamline responses and ensure visibility across all systems to mitigate evolving threats.

Key Dangers & Risks:

    
            Expanding attack surfaces. More digital assets increase the risk of exploitation.

    
            Siloed defense systems. Disparate tools lead to fragmented responses and slow remediation.

    
            Complex infrastructure vulnerabilities. Legacy systems and modern infrastructure may not integrate effectively, creating gaps in security.

National security threats

Public sector organizations, especially defense agencies, are prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to compromise national security. Attacks on military infrastructure, intelligence systems and critical government operations can have devastating consequences. Cyberattacks can disable defense capabilities, steal classified data and destabilize national security efforts.

Enhance security. Deploy advanced threat detection, establish cross-functional teams and implement Zero Trust models.

Key Dangers & Risks:

System compromise. Threat actors may breach secure government systems.

Espionage. Cyber espionage may steal sensitive national security information.

    
            Critical infrastructure sabotage. Attacks targeting key assets, like defense networks, can disrupt national defense efforts.

Operational disruptions & recovery

Public sector organizations must prepare for cyber incidents that could disrupt operations and service delivery. Whether from ransomware, advanced persistent threats or simple outages, the ability to recover quickly is vital. A delayed response to cyber incidents can increase financial and operational costs while exacerbating public frustration.

Accelerate recovery. Deploy real-time monitoring, implement automated recovery processes and optimize incident response for faster restoration.

Key Dangers & Risks:

    
            Slow recovery. Delayed response times prolong downtime, impacting essential services.

    
            Increased financial burden. Prolonged disruptions lead to higher recovery costs.

    
            Escalating public dissatisfaction. Slow recovery affects the public’s trust in government’s ability to manage crises.

Unique advantages:

Comprehensive built-in reporting for ISO 27001, NIST, NIS2, GDPR and other governmental standards.
Immediate mapping of cyber threats to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, enabling rapid detection and remediation of advanced threats.
Advanced UEBA proactively identifies and mitigates insider threats and anomalous behavior, enhancing security posture and operational trust.
Automated, auditable incident response workflows streamline compliance and significantly reduce time-to-response.