Amid Coronavirus, CISA and NIST Issue Guidelines to Boost Federal Telecommuting

The forced rush to telecommuting has caused many problems, with one of the most concerning being a surge in targeted attacks against strained federal networks. Hackers are taking advantage of the telecommuting chaos to launch attacks across the spectrum.

One of the biggest problems is government networks’ reliance on virtual private networks to connect remote employees with their agencies. VPNs pose a number of technical, security, and licensing problems. In response, DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a set of VPN guidelines that might solve, or at least work around, major chokepoints the government is experiencing.

Another problem is the use of video teleconferencing, with employees unfamiliar with the basic rules, much less how to give calls the appropriate level of security. NIST’s Jeff Greene has created a guide about how to safely teleconference and keep agency secrets secure, addressing security codes and unnecessary, security-compromising features.