Unisys: 64% of Federal Execs View Identity Mgmt Tech as Key to Cybersecurity; PV Puvvada Comments

A Unisys-sponsored survey has found that 64 percent of federal information technology executives consider identity management platforms as critical to cyber threat detection prevention efforts within their agencies.

Unisys said Wednesday it commissioned Market Connections to poll 200 federal IT leaders and found that only 20 percent said their agencies adopt biometrics for use in identity validation operations.

The Digital Trust survey also found that only 16 percent of respondents said their identity management platforms are automated and 40 percent said their agencies implement the “principle of least privilege.”

Seventy-percent of polled IT leaders said they see budget constraints as a challenge to identity management tools deployment, while 60 percent said they view the lack of skilled personnel as an obstacle to the adoption of such systems.

“This survey shows that the overwhelming majority of federal IT leaders understand the value of identity management technology and the role it can play in helping them to address the growing security threats their agencies face,” PV Puvvada, president of Unisys’ federal business.

“But it also illustrates the need for agencies to take additional steps to address challenges related to budgets, support staff and infrastructure,” added Puvvada, a 2018 Wash100 recipient.

He also called on agencies to build up their security through the adoption of biometrics-based platforms and automated identity management systems.

The survey also showed that 71 percent of respondents said they expect a rise in cyber threats this year.

The respondents also cited external threats, use of mobile devices and vulnerability patching as the top three security issues in the previous year.