THE article by Darshan Tiwari emphasizes the urgent need for cybersecurity professionals to support local government agencies, particularly those with limited budgets. It recounts an instance where a local housing authority lost nearly a million dollars to undetected cybercriminals, illustrating the vulnerability of smaller organizations that manage sensitive data.
Tiwari advocates for starting security assessments with basic exposure questions rather than products, creating tailored and affordable security solutions, prioritizing compliance discussions to facilitate decision-making, and maintaining ongoing support even after contracts are signed. He urges cybersecurity professionals to treat these agencies as real customers and develop solutions that fit their constraints.