Cybersecurity Measures Are Hurting Productivity In Federal Agencies

A recent survey on the impact of government cybersecurity measures on federal managers has found that many believe they are inhibited by cybersecurity at their agencies in the areas of information access, computing functionality, and mobility. The Obama administration has made cybersecurity a priority in the federal government, but executives report that obstacles caused by cybersecurity measures translate into a reduction of productivity and their ability to achieve their agency's mission.

Key findings:

-- A majority of federal executives (84 percent) report that cybersecurity measures are affecting their productivity. Key challenges include: discouraging mobility, inhibiting access to information, reducing computer functionality and response time.

-- Over half of respondents (56 percent) indicated that cybersecurity restrictions prevent them from getting information or using applications related to their job.

When cybersecurity restrictions prevent federal executives from accessing information they need for their job, they regularly resort to alternative - and often less secure - methods of accessing it.

Lack of access and diminished computer performance as a result of cybersecurity negatively impacts productivity for federal executives. Over half of those surveyed report that cybersecurity restrictions have prompted them to access information from home instead of the office.

Comment from Tom Simmons, area vice president - US Public Sector, Citrix Systems, Inc.: This survey makes clear the challenges the public sector faces every day when it comes to the delicate balance of cybersecurity and productivity. Today, there is really no need for any trade-off, particularly when we consider the availability of secure, FIPS-compliant, Common Criteria-certified virtualization technologies. Industry can truly help government realize high-level data security with no loss of performance, mobility or productivity.

Comment from Bryan Klopack, Director of Research for GBC: The study spotlights the significant trade-off agencies are making in implementing cybersecurity measures which negatively affect workforce productivity. Surveyed federal executives believe that cybersecurity policies and procedures should be modified to provide more emphasis on the importance of allowing federal managers to achieve their agency's mission.

Contact: The complete survey findings can be downloaded here.