How CentralSquare Protects Sensitive Data in the Cloud

In the digital age, data security is necessary for organizations handling sensitive information. And business continuity is necessary for those facing natural disasters and increased cyberattacks. The public sector checks both boxes.

Government agencies must adhere to strict compliance requirements while facing the growing threat of cyberattacks. Any downtime at all – whether it’s from a data breach or natural disaster – impacts public safety and community welfare.

Fortunately, cloud technology can help. The cloud is the future of data security and business continuity for government agencies. In this article, we explain why, as well as explore one company’s innovative approach to cloud-based solutions in the public sector.

The Importance of Data Security for Public Sector Agencies

Government agencies handle vast amounts of personal data like social security numbers, drivers licenses, medical records and more. To protect this information from unauthorized access, public sector organizations must adhere to strict data privacy regulations like CJIS and HIPAA.

A data breach can damage public confidence in government institutions, leading to decreased citizen engagement and participation. It can also disrupt essential services, which hurts local economies and delays emergency response times.

With cloud-based data security, you can prevent downtime and ensure access to critical services, even during unforeseen crises like cyberattacks or natural disasters. 

How Cloud Technology Secures Sensitive Data

Cloud technology provides advanced security measures for sensitive data protection, making it an attractive option for public sector agencies. Data encryption is one of the foundational pieces of cloud security. Both at rest and in transit, cloud providers encrypt data so unauthorized users can’t access it.

Cloud platforms also deploy advanced security protocols such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity and access management (IAM) systems. These extra measures make it even harder for unauthorized users to access sensitive data.

Cloud providers also continuously update their security measures to tackle emerging threats. They often have dedicated security teams to monitor and respond to security incidents around the clock, providing an added layer of protection that most agencies can’t afford.

Lastly, cloud services often comply with rigorous international security standards and certifications. These compliance standards are ideal for public sector organizations handling sensitive information. 

It’s important to remember, however, that not all cloud solutions are created equal. Many SaaS companies (and their software) have different data security measures and standards.

“The cloud is the future of emergency communications. We’re going to have to find ways to be more resilient, be more agile, as we continue to adapt to new technologies…the on-prem services are outdated, because that’s not what new technologies are going to. So we have to adapt to our environment and be able to access the types of technologies and information that are going to, ultimately, better serve the community.”

• Michael Brewer, Deputy Director at JeffCOMM 911, CO

The CentralSquare Approach to Data Protection and Compliance

Protecting Your Critical Data

As mentioned above, sensitive data protection is important for government agencies. But data security is also about protecting the systems that keep your community safe. 

From 2022 to 2023, public sector ransomware attacks increased by roughly 51%. And between 2018 and 2023, the U.S. saw 423 ransomware attacks against government agencies. These attacks, and the resulting downtime, impacted tens of millions of citizens.

In an environment where cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent,

CentralSquare’s cloud solutions offer the protection your agency needs. Our comprehensive security measures are designed to defend against the rising tide of cybercrime, so your agency’s sensitive data remains secure and your operations uninterrupted.

At CentralSquare, we prioritize data security through our partnership with AWS GovCloud. AWS GovCloud is specifically designed to meet stringent government security and compliance

requirements, including adherence to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) standards. Plus, with 24/7 multi-layered data security monitoring, your agency’s sensitive information (i.e. video evidence, electronic warrants, PII, etc.) is protected against unauthorized access, hacking and ransomware.

Our approach to security is proactive. Our solutions also include centralized Web Application Firewalls (WAF), logging, and packet inspection – all of which work together to detect and prevent threats before they can impact your operations. 

With this level of security. You can maintain data integrity and business continuity, even in the face of potential security breaches.

Ensuring Data Reliability

When it comes to emergency response, every second counts. Even a few minutes of downtime can compromise response times and public safety. CentralSquare’s cloud solutions are engineered to provide uninterrupted access to your data, no matter the circumstances. 

Thanks to our redundant systems, robust architecture, and disaster recovery strategies, we maintain data integrity and reliability. By hosting your data across multiple cloud servers, your data remains accessible even during unexpected events like natural disasters or power outages.

Not only that, our cloud services are designed to provide consistent access from any location, including remote or rural areas. Whether your team is in the field or in the office, they can access the data they need, when they need it, from any device. With this level of reliability, you can keep your systems running and ensure your team fulfills its duties in nearly any situation.

“We’re using a server-based pro suite, and our next evolution will be a cloud-based pro suite. So it’s going to give us the ability to dispatch from anywhere in the world…we won’t have to worry about staying in one area for a storm. The entire communications center can be relocated and can continue all of its operations from somewhere else. That evolution for us is amazing.“

• Mark Boudreaux, Executive Director at Terrebonne Parish SO, LA

Optimizing Your Workforce

Today more than ever, public safety agencies are expected to do more with less. With limited resources, the ability to optimize workflows and allocate resources efficiently is more important than ever. CentralSquare’s cloud solutions give you the flexibility and agility to thrive in this environment. 

By moving to the cloud, your agency can offload many tasks to CentralSquare, including the management of your IT infrastructure. This allows your IT staff to focus on mission-critical tasks, such as supporting frontline officers and developing strategies to improve public safety. 

The cloud also improves scalability. As your agency grows or as demand fluctuates, our cloud services adapt to provide extra computing power without the need for new hardware or software updates.

Our cloud environment also provides automatic software updates so your systems always have the latest features and security enhancements. These updates occur with minimal disruption, allowing your agency to continue its operations without the need for extended downtime.

“From an end user perspective, it’s been seamless. We have not been able to tell the difference between being in the cloud and being on-prem. Our old system was on-prem. Our IT department has received a significant benefit, because they’re spending significantly less time maintaining the system than they were with our old system.”

• Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director for Tukwila, WA

Planning for the Future

Many agencies operate on limited budgets. Unfortunately, on-prem systems require significant capital investment – often in the form of expensive hardware, software licenses and ongoing maintenance. These upfront and continual costs are a barrier to modernization and make long-term financial planning difficult.

In contrast, CentralSquare’s cloud solutions are based on a subscription model. This pay-as-you-go approach creates predictability, making it easier for your agency to plan its budget and allocate resources. Instead of large, infrequent capital expenses, your agency can spread out its IT costs over time, aligning expenses more closely with actual usage and needs.

Learn how other public agencies protected their data, optimized their workforce, and planned for the future with CentralSquare cloud technology.

“We’re trying to move to the cloud. So being a small municipality, I think the cloud alleviates so much on IT, but it does alleviate work for whoever’s doing the administrating and testing much more…we’re shorthanded, so the cloud is going to be a blessing. It’s going to take a weight off.”

• Lourdes Rodriguez, Building Department Administrator for Bal Harbour, FL

The Future of Cloud-Based Operations for Public Agencies

As your agency strives to handle more demands with fewer resources, the cloud offers a path to greater data security and operational efficiency. CentralSquare’s cloud solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of public safety, providing the tools and support you need to protect and serve the community.

Moving to the cloud with CentralSquare means you can maintain agency operations, reduce operational costs, and position yourself as a public sector leader. Schedule a discovery call today to learn how CentralSquare can help your agency transition to the cloud successfully.

The future of public safety is in the cloud, and with CentralSquare, that future is within reach.