Building Secure and Compliant Drupal Websites for Government Agencies
Gone are the days when government websites served merely as basic information portals.
In today's digital landscape, government agencies must ensure their websites are functional, secure, and compliant with various regulations.
But how, when there’s so much to uncover and address?
I'm Nazanin Ghasemi, a marketing expert at OPTASY with over five years of experience in digital marketing. I specialize in B2B sectors and have a strong track record of running successful digital campaigns, managing substantial advertising budgets, and creating strategic content initiatives.
Today, I’m exploring the complexities of building secure and compliant Drupal websites for government agencies by interviewing experts from OPTASY: Mark Yuasa, Project Manager & Business Analyst; Adrian Ababei, CEO and Expert Drupal Developer, Mihael Shumelov, Project Manager, and Scott Carpenter, Senior Drupal Developer.
Let’s start by understanding the unique challenges of government Drupal development.
Understanding the Unique Challenges of Government Drupal Development
Government websites must meet strict accessibility standards, from accessibility compliance to data security. Let’s find out what OPTASY’s Drupal experts have to say about government Drupal development challenges.
What challenges do Drupal websites for government agencies face, and how does OPTASY help them overcome them?
Mark Yuasa: Ensuring compliance with WCAG, Section 508, and AODA guidelines is essential. Government websites in the USA must comply with WCAG standards and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d). In Canada, the AODA standards must be met. Not adhering to these rules is akin to not having a wheelchair path for an office of a government agency.
OPTASY guarantees all websites meet or exceed accessibility standards by following WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines. For Canadian projects, we adhere to AODA, and for American projects, we comply with relevant US standards. We ensure accessibility by focusing on both back-end coding and front-end design.
We ensure compliance by using automated accessibility checkers and conducting manual reviews. Our development process includes clean, semantic coding, making the content accessible to all users.
Adrian Ababei: Government agencies often operate on outdated systems that are difficult to upgrade. To help solve that, OPTASY customizes the migration process to accurately map the source data and ensure a smooth transition to Drupal.
Government websites also have complex security requirements and multiple layers of protection. To create secure government websites, we collaborate closely with each client's security team to understand and integrate their security infrastructure with Drupal. For example, some clients use specific tools and environments that require thorough analysis and adaptation.
When government agencies build Drupal websites, they may find that while Drupal themes may be accessible, the content is often not. So, OPTASY’s front-end and back-end developers tackle accessibility by scanning websites to identify and address accessibility issues. We generate detailed reports highlighting problems like insufficient text contrast ratios and implement necessary fixes to ensure full compliance.
Scott Carpenter: Government websites need to serve a wide range of personas. For instance, the Canadian Government required submission forms to be organized by political importance rather than alphabetically, making it easier for Canadian citizens to navigate.
To address this challenge, OPTASY customizes user interfaces to meet specific government requirements, ensuring that forms and navigation are intuitive and user-friendly.
Mihael Shumelov: As Adrian pinpointed earlier, many government websites have outdated designs. OPTASY updates these designs to ensure they are modern, secure, and compliant with the latest standards.
Also, since clients are not Drupal experts, OPTASY takes care of all security aspects, ensuring that all modules are compatible and updated to the latest version of Drupal.
Achieving Full Accessibility for All Users
Achieving full accessibility for all users involves a multifaceted approach that meets a wide variety of government website needs.
Let’s look at the key steps to follow, according to OPTASY’s team members.
How does OPTASY ensure that Drupal government websites are fully accessible to all users, including those with disabilities?
Mark Yuasa: Accessibility goes beyond technical issues; it should appeal to all users, including citizens of different ages and cultural backgrounds. Graphic design should be natural and compliant with government web design standards, which can vary by region.
When building government websites at OPTASY, we create user-friendly designs with high contrast and clear UI elements. Our websites support alternative browsing methods, including text-to-speech and braille reading interfaces. Additionally, we implement global content search features to help users with disabilities find relevant information easily.
Adrian Ababei: Our team members are active participants in Drupal.org’s accessibility initiatives and have a deep understanding of the Drupal framework. We partner with platforms like Siteimprove to generate reports and identify accessibility issues.
Also, we adhere to WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, and AODA standards. Our team scans websites to ensure custom themes and client content comply with these standards.
Scott Carpenter: To meet accessibility standards for all users, we keep themes up-to-date and avoid outdated code and methodologies. This ensures compatibility with the latest accessibility standards.
Our team constantly researches new techniques and updates to accessibility standards. This includes staying informed about updates from major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, as well as changes in HTML and CSS.
Mihael Shumelov: As my colleagues said, we follow specific accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508. We use Drupal accessibility modules and have developed custom modules to enhance website accessibility and we keep themes and code updated to meet evolving accessibility standards.
Meeting Critical Compliance Standards (FedRAMP, HIPAA, CJIS)
To meet critical compliance requirements, government agencies must regularly update their systems, conduct thorough accessibility audits, and ensure adherence to current standards and regulations.
Let’s see how OPTASY can help with this.
What are the most critical compliance standards for government agencies, and how does OPTASY ensure that Drupal websites meet these requirements?
Mark Yuasa: FedRAMP standardizes security assessments for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. HIPAA protects the privacy and security of health information, ensuring that electronic protected health information is safeguarded. CJIS provides guidelines for the protection of criminal justice information.
We have extensive experience ensuring websites comply with these standards, supporting alternative web browsing interfaces, and creating accessible content to all users. We maintain compliance throughout the website's lifecycle by staying up-to-date with regulatory changes and continuously monitoring for compliance.
Adrian Ababei: Government websites must meet compliance standards like HIPAA or CJIS. We understand and follow different standards based on the client's location, such as AODA in Canada and Section 508 in the USA.
During the discovery phase, we discuss compliance requirements with clients and scan content and themes to ensure they meet these standards.
Scott Carpenter: Government agencies must adhere to various compliance standards, including Assistive Technology (AT) compliance. OPTASY ensures compatibility with assistive technologies such as screen readers for individuals with disabilities. We stay informed about emerging technologies like Neuralink to ensure future readiness.
Staying Ahead of Evolving Compliance and Security Threats
To ensure your Drupal websites keep up with evolving compliance and security threats, you need a multifaceted approach.
How does OPTASY protect sensitive data on Drupal websites from cyber threats and vulnerabilities?
Mark Yuasa: OPTASY protects sensitive data on Drupal websites through regular code audits and penetration testing to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. Our security measures include configuring firewalls and monitoring website performance to detect and prevent DDoS attacks.
We recommend using secure APIs to access externally stored sensitive data, minimizing the risk of data breaches. For financial transactions, we integrate with secure payment gateways such as Stripe or PayPal.
Adrian Ababei: We recommend using secure cloud platforms like Acquia and Pantheon, which are proven to be secure and Drupal-friendly. For clients needing custom cloud solutions, we conduct security audits and share the reports with their teams to ensure alignment with security protocols.
Scott Carpenter: Our security approach includes regular updates, employee training on best practices, and adherence to Drupal coding standards.
Mihael Shumelov: Common security vulnerabilities for Drupal websites include SQL injection, Cross-site scripting, or outdated code. We prevent SQL injection by using parameterized queries and prepared statements to protect against malicious code injections.
We also mitigate outdated code by regularly updating Drupal core and contributed modules to ensure they include the latest security patches.
Addressing Common Security Vulnerabilities & Maintain Security Post-Launch
This may take some work, but let’s see how the experts do it.
What are the most common security vulnerabilities that Drupal websites face, and how does OPTASY mitigate these risks?
Mark Yuasa: Common security vulnerabilities for Drupal websites include DDoS attacks, phishing attacks, and code vulnerabilities. We address all of these.
We configure firewalls and monitor website performance to detect and prevent DDoS attacks. Limiting access from suspicious IP addresses helps protect the website from being overwhelmed. We have seen such attacks frequently targeting government websites, including the GBC, within the last couple of years.
While technical measures can't fully prevent phishing, we educate clients and their users about these risks. We emphasize the importance of educating employees and users about phishing tactics, such as not sharing sensitive information like social insurance numbers.
Adrian Ababei: We take website security very seriously. We configure firewalls and use monitoring tools to detect and prevent DDoS attacks. Limiting access from suspicious IP addresses helps protect the website from being overwhelmed.
Scott Carpenter: To mitigate the risk of security breaches, we use parameterized queries and prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks. Also, we sanitize all user inputs and outputs to prevent XSS attacks.
Another best practice is to ensure that JavaScript code is secure and does not introduce vulnerabilities through adware or spyware embedded in browsers.
Building Effective Public-Facing Websites
Building effective public-facing websites, particularly for government agencies, requires careful consideration of several key factors to ensure they serve their intended purpose efficiently and reliably.
According to OPTASY’s team, this takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
What are the key considerations for government agencies when building public-facing websites with Drupal?
Mark Yuasa: When building public-facing websites, prioritize the user experience, accessibility, and mobile optimization.
To create a user-friendly design with simplified UI elements, engage with clients to understand their needs and demographics. This ensures that layouts, images, and content are tailored to the end users.
Regarding the content strategy, conduct content audits to optimize existing content and remove underperforming content. We use a combination of manual and automated tools, such as Google Analytics, to determine what content should be kept, edited, or removed.
Adrian Ababei: The key considerations for public-facing websites are security, user experience, multilingual support, performance, and accessibility.
To address these considerations, we work with content strategy experts like Trish, who specializes in building effective content strategies to convey the client's message clearly. We also engage with clients to understand their needs and demographics, creating layouts, images, and content tailored to the target audience.
Scott Carpenter: OPTASY helps public-facing websites communicate their mission and services by considering user personas throughout the design process to ensure the website meets the needs of its audience.
Also, integrating information effectively and addressing challenges through tailored solutions is an approach we take.
OPTASY helps build secure and compliant Drupal websites with its active participation in the community, contributions to core development, and consistent involvement in security releases.
Its team of certified developers and impressive portfolio demonstrate its expertise and reliability in building secure and compliant Drupal websites.
In conclusion, ensuring the security and compliance of government Drupal websites involves a strategic approach tailored to the unique challenges these projects present. Accessible, secure, and compliant government websites are critical to providing reliable services and information to the public, protecting sensitive data, and meeting regulatory standards.
Want to learn more? Contact us today, and let’s build your website.
