Dot-govs Score High on Security in New Report

While some federal websites still look like they were designed in the 1990s, a newly released study says many dot-govs are up to date when it comes to security. 

The Online Trust Alliance examined over 1,200 consumer-facing websites to find organizations that emphasized security and privacy in 2018. Ninety-one percent of dot-govs made the honor roll, “a dramatic turnaround from 2017 when government sites had bottomed out at 39 percent recognition,” OTA said.

Government websites scored highest in site security (94 percent), DMARC adoption (93 percent) and policy enforcement (83 percent), and IPv6 adoption (46 percent), according to the 10th annual Online Trust Audit and Honor Roll report.

Jeff Wilbur, technical director of the Internet Society’s Online Trust Alliance, called those“stunning improvements” when compared to the previous year when the federal government sites were ranked near last.

OTA’s audit assesses sites in three categories: consumer protection, site security and responsible privacy practices. Sites with 80 percent or better overall score are recognized in the honor roll.

Smartphone security, conceptual illustration

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