Veris Group Chief Strategist Dave McClure and Shared Services Leadership Coalition CEO John Marshall have recommended the federal government adopt shared services for its transactional platforms to secure legacy and scattered systems.
McClure and Marshall wrote in a guest piece published Monday for Federal News Radio that shared services could help concentrate the government’s limited cyber resources.
They added that culture also presents a challenge to government cybersecurity as agencies focus more on mission priorities rather than administrative and cyber needs amid limited funding.
“Taken together, tight budgets, limited expertise and cultural blind spots create perfect storms of agency vulnerability throughout the federal environment,” they said.
McClure and Marshall called for the acceleration of agency migration toward shared services and the use of market-based practices to develop a culture that attracts cyber talent and rewards cybersecurity performance.
“[Shared services] can improve security effectiveness and efficiency by reducing variation in security controls and eliminating duplication of security work and reporting,” they added.