Over the past few years, governments worldwide have fallen victim to significant data breaches amid rising attacks from cyber-criminals and state actors. Asia Pacific is no different, with government agencies and related organisations featuring high on the list of attacks.
For example, in Australia between January and June 2024, government agencies were the second-most likely sector to notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) of a data breach, behind health services providers. It was the highest number of breaches recorded for the nation’s public sector in a single period.
In New Zealand, businesses, including government, faced over 1,900 cyber incidents in Q3 of 2024 alone, up 58% from the previous quarter. Phishing and credential harvesting, scams and fraud, and unauthorised access were among the most common incident types according to CERT NZ.
ANZ is not alone. Singapore’s most recent annual report by the Ministry for Digital Development and Information (MDDI) reported a 10% annual increase in data leak incidents within the public sector.
Bad actors are targeting government agencies to get access to high-value documents and records containing security information or sensitive citizen details.
When government information is compromised, it can result in a spectrum of risks. For some agencies, such as national intelligence community agencies, this could mean the theft of national secrets that impact citizen safety. For example, the damage it might cause if citizens' confidential data is shared online.
It also erodes trust. Externally, citizens will be reticent to share data with governments if they feel that information isn’t properly protected. And internally, the authenticity of documents and data will be questioned.
At the same time, confidential document creation and information transfer are on the rise, expanding the attack surface across the government ecosystem. That’s one reason why content and information security is no longer the domain of defence and security agencies, but a whole-of-government issue.
It’s also a driver behind the increasing adoption of zero-trust postures across agencies. Here, network security may be a natural focus, but without the protection of content “in transit,” “in use,” and “at rest,” the journey to zero-trust is incomplete.
Heightened document security controls are now imperative at all stages of the content lifecycle to mitigate the threat of data loss and stop content from being corrupted for malicious uses. Adobe has developed document and content security controls to support the vital role that information security – including confidentiality, integrity and access – plays in that journey.
Applying the CIA triad
When equipped with document and content security controls, government agencies can keep information confidential and accessible by authorised parties while maximising its intended usability.
An important starting point is to apply the Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA) information security framework across an agency’s content lifecycle. These questions help illustrate the practical application:
- Are documents kept confidential through protected access and usage?
- Is there sufficient verification and tracking for decision-makers to rely on the accuracy and veracity of information?
- Is information available and scalable for teams to access quickly and securely across devices?
- Is information able to move at the pace of complex and everyday decision-making?
Content is vulnerable at any point, not just when it’s being used. It’s therefore crucial for this CIA framework to be applied throughout the entire document lifecycle, from the moment a document is created through to its distribution and storage.
Extending ‘zero trust’ across the content lifecycle
Adobe can aid government operations, ensuring security and instilling trust across the information lifecycle. Through application-layer security controls, agencies can manage content creation, storage, and distribution, supporting the overall journey to zero trust. This can help reduce the theft of sensitive data, streamline decision-making and collaboration, and help identify whether documents have been altered without authorisation.
For example, during the Management stage – where agencies are managing access and usage control – the application facilitates encrypted content and enterprise authorisation methods while using invisible watermarks, enabling streamlined access, and assurance of the integrity of content.
In the Distribution stage, creators can attach their identity and contact information to their work using content credentials, and once a document leaves the network, Adobe gives owners real-time visibility into how, when, and by whom digital content is being accessed or shared.
Governments have an opportunity to lead by example when it comes to adopting a ‘zero trust’ content security policy. While it may take time, embedding the highest security standards at every step of the document and content lifecycle will uplift content and document security.
In turn, it can help maintain citizen trust and give government decision-makers confidence that the documents they use to make decisions are authentic and reliable.
Learn about the steps agencies can take to strengthen document security controls and access further resources on essential tools and capabilities here.
As Adobe’s Principle Digital Strategist, John Mackenney advises the senior leadership at Adobe’s enterprise customers on strategies for customer experience transformation and digital innovation. John brings together a wealth of knowledge in industry development and practical implementation experience to help customers devise comprehensive transformation programmes.
