Enhancing Cybersecurity in Local Government: A Case Study of Florida County

Serving a population of over 165,000 citizens, this Florida county government is dedicated to delivering essential services that enhance the quality of life for all its residents. From public safety and law enforcement to economic development and community services, the county’s operations are vast and varied. However, a critical component of these services is the cybersecurity strategy that underpins them, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and the integrity of operations.

From Flying Blind to Seeing the Bigger Picture

Safeguarding data across multiple systems, service providers, and citizens is a key responsibility of the County’s Systems Management. The challenge lies in protecting sensitive information while maintaining smooth engagement with various external partners. As the types of data and potential threats evolve, the county faces a unique challenge: limited resources—both human and financial—complicate the task of securing its digital landscape.

When the Chief Information Officer (CIO) assumed his role in 2024, he recognized that building a responsive defense-in-depth strategy was essential. However, with a small security team grappling with high alert volumes and inefficient tools, the situation was dire. Investigations often led nowhere, and the team was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data.

The CIO described the situation succinctly: “We would just see a single portion of data that could send us down a rabbit hole, thinking something’s going on—only to find out after spending days, weeks, or even months that it was nothing.” This lack of comprehensive visibility made it difficult to differentiate between legitimate threats and false positives.

Local Government’s Unique Cybersecurity Challenges

Local governments face a complex security environment, bringing together diverse individuals and organizations. The CIO noted that the challenge was not just about identifying threats but doing so swiftly enough to mitigate potential damage. With sophisticated threats on the rise, including nation-state attackers, the urgency for effective cybersecurity measures became paramount.

Key challenges identified by the CIO included:

1. Contextual Awareness and Visibility: The County team lacked the granular visibility needed to identify harmful behaviors. They required tools that could uncover hidden activities and provide actionable insights with minimal manual intervention.

2. Augmenting Human Expertise: Hiring additional analysts was prohibitively expensive. The IT team needed a solution that could enhance existing skills while automating routine tasks.

3. Preventing Email-Based Threats: Phishing and malicious email links remained persistent threats. The team needed a way to efficiently flag and identify suspicious messages without blocking legitimate communications.

4. Securing Access and Managing Insider Threats: Having previously dealt with insider threats, the IT team sought a proactive approach to prevent incidents before they occurred.

Proactive Cybersecurity Solutions

Recognizing these challenges, the CIO and his team sought AI-driven solutions capable of acting autonomously to support their lean IT structure. Ease of deployment was crucial; they needed a solution that could quickly establish a security baseline without disrupting existing systems.

Having previously worked with Darktrace, the CIO was confident in its ability to deliver the critical connections needed for a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. “When every second counts, we want to be as close to the same resources as our attackers are utilizing,” he emphasized.

Closing Network Visibility Gaps with Darktrace / NETWORK

The County chose Darktrace / NETWORK for its unparalleled visibility into the network. With this solution, the CIO and his team could identify and address previously hidden activities, including insider threats. For instance, Darktrace alerted the team to an unauthorized anonymizer plug-in installed by a team member, allowing for proactive threat mitigation.

Darktrace continuously monitored the County’s environment, intelligently establishing behavioral patterns. This contextual awareness enabled the team to focus on the most critical alerts, saving time and effort. “Darktrace brings all the data we need together, into one picture,” the CIO noted, highlighting the efficiency gained through automation.

The Agentless Deployment Advantage

One of the significant benefits of Darktrace / NETWORK is its agentless nature. “Agents alert attackers to the presence of security in your environment,” the CIO explained. By mirroring network traffic, the County maintained full visibility without alerting potential threats, allowing for rapid response to suspicious activities.

Streamlining Investigations with Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst

For lean security teams, contextual awareness is vital in reducing alert fatigue. Utilizing Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst, the County team could automatically investigate relevant events, reducing thousands of alerts to a manageable number. The efficiency gains were substantial, saving 520 investigation hours in just one month.

Catching Internal Threats: Defense in Depth with Darktrace / IDENTITY

Darktrace’s breadth of capability proved invaluable in addressing insider threats. The CIO noted that the solution provided advanced visibility into user behavior, allowing the team to take targeted actions against insecure access practices. This proactive approach helped mitigate risks before they escalated.

Enhancing Email Security with Darktrace / EMAIL

Email-based threats, particularly phishing, are among the most common attack vectors. The implementation of Darktrace / EMAIL significantly improved the County’s defenses. The CIO noted that the tool not only detected malicious emails but also fostered a culture of security awareness among end users.

Straightforward Integration and Future Outlook

The County sought a powerful, responsive solution that required minimal pre-installation and integration. “The integration is relatively painless,” the CIO remarked, emphasizing the ease with which Darktrace could be deployed. The solution began providing notifications immediately, allowing the County to turn on defense mechanisms quickly.

As the County continues to build its defense-in-depth strategy, Darktrace is seen as an integral part of its cybersecurity framework. “Having worked with Darktrace in the past, it was an easy decision for me to agree to a multi-year partnership,” the CIO stated, underscoring the importance of proactive, risk-based cybersecurity measures.

In conclusion, the County’s journey from a reactive to a proactive cybersecurity posture illustrates the critical role of advanced technology in safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the safety of its citizens. With Darktrace, the County is not just responding to threats but actively fortifying its defenses against the evolving landscape of cyber risks.