Chief Information Officers at every level of government, be it federal, state or local, have a more challenging job than ever today. These CIOs have to juggle the demands of meeting constituents’ needs, ensure that their programs, processes and networks are sufficiently optimized to handle increased workloads — all while keeping a watchful eye on security. It’s a lot to juggle, and it only gets more complicated each day.
Not surprisingly, CIOs report that cybersecurity emerges as a top priority going forward. In fact, a survey of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers reveals that for 2023, the issue of cybersecurity is paramount among their concerns. It’s no wonder: Every day we hear news of new cyberattacks at all levels of government, including pernicious ransomware attacks that can be costly, time-consuming, and result in considerable downtime and even hefty ransom payments. It only seems to get worse the more we read.
In the two categories of the survey: Priority Strategies, Management Processes and Solutions for 2023; and Priority Technologies, Applications and Tools for 2023, cybersecurity and risk management stood at the top of respondents’ principal concerns. Digital government and digital services earned a second-place designation.
The remaining priorities among CIOs ranged from workforce; legacy modernization; identity and access management; cloud services; consolidation and optimization; to data and information management; broadband and wireless connectivity; and customer relationship management.
What do these survey responses mean for government CIOs? Simple: Security is top-of-mind for CIOs in every government sector. It also begs the question: Are government CIOs doing everything they can to protect their vital networks, apps and data housing critical taxpayer information? Are they partnering with the right solutions provider who knows how government works, how various offices and agencies communicate, and how to deploy the most current and effective tools and solutions to combat security breaches, build strong digital defenses, employ the cloud and recover data quickly?
These are critical questions that need to be answered in order to keep essential information safe, offices working at peak efficiency, while ensuring that data and networks are protected from outside intrusion. A qualified, experienced cloud solutions service provider who knows the machinations of government can help offices and agencies at all levels to assess current needs and vulnerabilities, and devise solutions to protect networks, ensure high availability and disaster recovery, while maximizing efficiencies at every level in all departments.
Contact GovNet today to learn how we can put our government experience to work for you and devise immediate and long-range solutions to data management, protection, and overall network security.