Okay, so, FISMA and IoT, right?
FISMA, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, is the law that says they gotta protect all this information. But, IoT devices throw a wrench in the works. Theyre often, well, kinda… dumb. Not dumb like insulting the device, but dumb as in they dont have a lot of built-in security. Theyre made to be cheap and easy, not Fort Knox.
So, you got these potentially insecure devices on government networks. Big problem! What if someone hacks a connected coffee pot and then uses that to get into, I dont know, NASAs mainframe? (Okay, maybe thats a bit dramatic). check But, you get the idea.
Protecting these federal connected devices means a whole bunch of things. Like, making sure the devices themselves are as secure as possible – which is often the manufacturers job, but the government needs to demand it! It also involves things like, you know, strong passwords (no more "password123"!), network segmentation (so if one device gets hacked, it doesnt take down the whole system!), and constant monitoring for suspicious activity.
Its a tough job, and its always evolving because hackers are always finding new ways to break in. But, its super important. Because if we dont protect these things, well, who knows what could happen!