Cybersecurity Solutions for State, Local & Federal Government

Government agencies at every level face an intensifying wave of cyberattacks designed to disrupt public services, steal citizen data, and undermine public trust. In the first half of 2025 alone, 208 ransomware attacks targeted government entities worldwide: a 65% jump over the same period in 2024. When government systems go down, essential public services fail: emergency response systems become unreliable, payment processing halts, public records become inaccessible, and citizens cannot receive the services they depend on.

Cyber Security Services provides cybersecurity consulting and security programs designed for the unique regulatory, operational, and budgetary environment of public sector organizations. From city and county governments to state agencies, utilities, and federal contractors, we bring enterprise-grade security expertise aligned to NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, CJIS, and the growing patchwork of government cybersecurity requirements.

187

govt ransomware attacks in H1 2026

Comparitech recorded 187 ransomware attacks on government entities worldwide in the first half of 2026, up 13% from 165 in the second half of 2025. 89 were confirmed by the targeted entities. The U.S. accounted for 31% of all attacks, with 58 in total, though U.S. attacks fell 23% from the prior six months. (Comparitech, Government Ransomware Roundup H1 2026, 2026)

$2.83M

avg govt ransomware recovery

Government ransomware recovery costs average $2.83 million per incident, and U.S. government downtime from ransomware cost an estimated $70 billion between 2018 and 2022. Critical infrastructure breach costs average $4.82 million. The financial and operational disruption of an attack far exceeds the cost of prevention. (Sophos, IBM, Comparitech)

98%

data encryption rate when hit

In 98% of ransomware attacks on state and local government organizations, attackers encrypted data: the highest encryption rate of all sectors in the study. 34% of state and local government organizations were hit by ransomware in the past year, and the mean cost to recover from an attack was $2.83 million. (Sophos, The State of Ransomware in State and Local Government, 2024)

The Government Cybersecurity Challenge

Public sector organizations face a cybersecurity landscape shaped by several compounding challenges that differ meaningfully from the private sector:

Legacy Systems and Underfunded IT

Many government agencies operate on infrastructure that is years or decades old: systems that were not designed for modern security controls and cannot support current endpoint protection or zero-trust architectures without significant investment. Budget cycles, procurement processes, and political constraints make rapid modernization difficult even when threats are urgent.

High-Value, Sensitive Data

Government systems contain citizen data that has extraordinary value to adversaries: Social Security numbers, tax records, benefit information, criminal justice records, voter registration data, and classified information. This data is attractive to both financially motivated criminal groups and nation-state actors conducting espionage and influence operations.

Critical Service Continuity

Citizens cannot simply take their business elsewhere when government services go down. Emergency services, benefits administration, court systems, utilities, and public health systems must maintain continuity regardless of cyber events. The societal impact of government downtime makes agencies targets for extortion and elevates the stakes of every incident

Evolving Compliance Requirements

Government cybersecurity obligations are expanding. CISA has published binding operational directives, FISMA requirements continue to evolve, state-level cybersecurity mandates are proliferating, and federal grant requirements increasingly condition funding on documented cybersecurity practices. The MS-ISAC has transitioned to a paid model, removing a key free resource that smaller agencies relied on.

Government Compliance Frameworks We Support

NIST SP 800-53 & FISMA

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act requires federal agencies and their contractors to implement security controls from NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5. We conduct FISMA readiness assessments, develop System Security Plans (SSPs), implement required controls, and prepare agencies for Authorization to Operate (ATO) reviews

CJIS Security Policy

Criminal justice agencies and any organization with access to FBI Criminal Justice Information (CJI) (including courts, corrections, and local law enforcement) must comply with the stringent FBI CJIS Security Policy. We assess CJIS compliance gaps, implement required technical controls including MFA and audit logging, and develop the documentation required for CJIS audits.

IRS Publication 1075

Agencies handling Federal Tax Information (FTI) (including state revenue departments, social services agencies, and contractors processing tax data) must comply with IRS Publication 1075, which has some of the most rigorous cybersecurity requirements in the public sector, including a 24-hour incident reporting requirement.

StateRAMP & FedRAMP

Agencies procuring cloud services need vendors with appropriate cloud security authorizations. We help agencies evaluate vendor FedRAMP and StateRAMP authorizations, assess cloud security controls, and develop cloud-specific security requirements for procurement

Our Government Cybersecurity Services

Security Operations Center (SOC)

Our 24/7 SOC provides continuous monitoring of government networks, endpoints, and cloud platforms. We detect and respond to threats in real time, providing the coverage that most agency IT teams cannot maintain internally with their staffing levels.

Penetration Testing & Vulnerability Management

We conduct authorized penetration tests and vulnerability assessments that satisfy CJIS, FISMA, and grant-funded cybersecurity requirements, providing the independent verification that auditors and compliance frameworks require.

Incident Response

When an incident occurs, rapid response is critical for both operational restoration and evidence preservation. Our incident response team has public sector experience, understands government reporting requirements and chain-of-custody obligations, and can coordinate with CISA and law enforcement as required.

NIST-Based Risk Assessments

We conduct comprehensive risk assessments aligned to NIST SP 800-30 and NIST CSF 2.0, producing the documentation that grants, audits, and compliance frameworks increasingly require. Our assessments give agency leadership a clear picture of risk and a prioritized roadmap for improvement.

Virtual CISO & Governance Support

Many municipalities and smaller agencies lack dedicated security leadership. Our virtual CISO service provides the senior security expertise needed to build governance structures, present risk to elected officials and agency heads, coordinate with CISA and state cybersecurity offices, and manage the overall security program.

Protect Public Services & Citizen Data

Get a government-specific cybersecurity assessment aligned to NIST 800-53, CJIS, FISMA, and your state’s requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you work with municipalities and counties as well as state agencies?

Yes. We serve the full spectrum of government organizations, from small municipalities and counties to large state agencies. We understand that small local governments often have the highest exposure with the fewest resources, and we design programs scaled to their specific risk profile, budget, and staffing reality.

Can you help us meet cybersecurity requirements for federal grants?

Yes. Many federal grants from FEMA, HUD, DOT, and other agencies now include cybersecurity requirements. We help agencies assess and document their cybersecurity posture to satisfy grant conditions, and can assist with grant applications for programs like BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) that include cybersecurity funding.

How does your service differ from what CISA provides for free?

CISA provides valuable free resources including vulnerability scanning, advisories, and training. Our service complements CISA’s offerings by providing the hands-on implementation support, continuous monitoring, and expert guidance that transforms CISA’s recommendations into actual security controls. We also help agencies act on CISA’s findings and maintain ongoing compliance

What is your experience with CJIS compliance?

We have conducted CJIS security assessments and implemented CJIS-required controls for law enforcement agencies, courts, and contractors with CJI access. CJIS has unique requirements around advanced authentication, mobile device management, personnel screening, and audit logging that require specialized expertise: our team understands these requirements in depth