As we wrap up 2023, this can be a nice time to mirror at the present state of generation in state and native governments and look forward to the priorities for the approaching 12 months. As we input 2024, we’re seeing IT leaders in executive crystalizing their efforts in 4 key spaces:

• cybersecurity
• virtual products and services
• synthetic intelligence (AI)
• and modernizing transportation infrastructure.

Cybersecurity remains to be height tech precedence

Keeping up the safety of networks and the knowledge they bring remains to be the main worry of height executive officers and has been for the ultimate 10 years, in keeping with NASCIO’s annual survey of State CIOs. As the amount and have an effect on of malware and breaches proceed to upward thrust, states are evolving their safety features and that specialize in cyber-resilience to briefly react and recuperate from safety incidents.

Maximum states also are leveraging Federal Infrastructure and Funding Jobs Act (IIJA) grants to support the safety posture in their native executive and faculties, which is able to upload the duty for State CIOs and CISOs to coordinate whole-of-state safety plans. This heightened coordination and knowledge sharing (plus every so often useful resource sharing) is wanted maximum within the smallest and under-resourced towns, counties, and faculties.

States have carried out checks to spot the features and desires in their native governments and faculties. They’re taken with addressing basic wishes reminiscent of coaching, endpoint protections, electronic mail safety, and multi-factor authentication.

Whilst approaches vary by way of state, everyone seems to be that specialize in making sure the sustainability in their way past the IIJA investment window. States also are setting up facilities of excellence, fusion facilities and cyber levels, incessantly in partnership with native Universities or state community suppliers. Those partnerships are turning in basic cybersecurity schooling, main table-top workouts to higher get ready for breaches, and in some instances growing regional safety operations facilities (SOCs) to supply safety tracking products and services for native governments and faculties within the area.

Whilst many States require native governments and faculties to inform the State of safety breaches, a number of have a long-term objective of sharing real-time safety telemetry to create a extra entire image of threats and unhealthy actors throughout their State.

Turning in virtual executive products and services nonetheless of prime significance

Serving citizens quicker and at a lower price by way of deploying protected and dependable virtual executive products and services additionally stays a height precedence in state and native executive. From on-line tax bills to digital renewals of licenses and lets in, virtual products and services out there from cell units are turning into the norm.

States and towns are consolidating portals to provide a unmarried face of presidency, with a unmarried resident identifier and login for all products and services. This represents an intentional shift from agency-centric to resident-centric carrier supply and will considerably decrease the barrier for citizens to spot the products and services they want and meet {qualifications} for.

Towns also are leveraging video generation to attach citizens in want with executive staff at once, permitting them to get well timed and private carrier with out the scheduling and trip to a central authority workplace. The Town of El Paso, Texas El Paso Is helping initiative is a main instance of this shift.

States growing coverage guardrails for suitable use of AI

Simply over a 12 months after the general public liberate of ChatGPT, Generative AI has taken middle degree within the generation dialog (see what Cisco is doing with Generative AI). State CISOs are main the coverage introduction for correct use of AI, and requiring registration of AI features in all executive programs and business programs utilized by businesses to make sure they apply the foundations for suitable use.

As Generative AI generation impulsively advances, the definitions of correct use will wish to be adjusted. AI is extensively considered as a device to reinforce people in carrying out their paintings, now not as a device to make selections. With chronic body of workers shortages throughout executive businesses, executive businesses are interested by applied sciences like AI-powered chatbots to proceed to satisfy the desires of citizens with their lowered body of workers — particularly in crucial products and services that incessantly enjoy spikes in call for (reminiscent of unemployment carrier initially of the COVID-19 pandemic).

States have more and more created the placement of leader information officer and leader privateness officer to make sure the privateness of resident information as it’s controlled inside of and between businesses. Via harnessing the ability of information, states can acquire treasured insights into resident wishes, observe traits, and tell policymaking. This evidence-based way can result in more practical and environment friendly public products and services in crucial spaces that contact a couple of businesses like homelessness or opioid abuse.

States and towns also are taken with modernizing transportation infrastructure

Departments of Transportation (DoTs) are connecting site visitors lighting fixtures and including cameras to transport site visitors extra successfully. They’re additionally the use of those applied sciences to preempt stoplights, permitting ambulances and different first responders to achieve other people in want quicker whilst responding higher to injuries and street stipulations (be told extra).

Transit government are upgrading fee programs, turning in unfastened and simply out there protected WiFi to passengers, bettering end-to-end adventure control, and including virtual signage to advertise occasions and group sources.

Transportation businesses even have vital information about ancient ridership to support potency and make data-driven selections about routes in keeping with time, climate, or occasions. Given the succeed in of transportation and town property reminiscent of streetlights, initiatives like those can incessantly be the beginning of a broader good town technique that expands into public protection and virtual fairness.

The continuing push for IT modernization continues in 2024

As we mentioned, cybersecurity stays the highest worry for presidency leaders. However their emphasis on cloud products and services, virtual executive, information control, and analytics underscores a dedication to broader virtual transformation. 2024 will see state and native governments proceed to modernize infrastructure. The point of interest shall be on simplification and automation, partially because of the chronic IT and cyber ability shortages, but in addition because of the will for advanced flexibility and responsiveness to firm wishes. 2024 must be a 12 months of transition from coverage introduction round Generative AI to energetic use throughout the authorized coverage frameworks.

As generation and resident expectancies evolve impulsively, executive IT leaders proceed to prepared the ground. We stay up for seeing new priorities and alternatives emerge within the new 12 months.

Be told extra: state and native executive priorities 2024

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