9 minute read
Digital Services: The Decision-Making Behind Innovation
Digital services such as cloud and analytics reached new heights in critical priority. To build resilience and improve agility, more than half of agencies will act to modernize critical legacy systems by 2025, Gartner predicts. But technology can be the easiest part, as one government official points out. Adopting, creating and gaining buy-in for digital services requires an innovative state of mind. Bringing fresh perspectives to how agencies pick up these tools can make a trite solution seem brand-new.
DON'T FIXATE ON UPFRONT COSTS
Given a limited budget, how do you make a go/no-go decision on an IT modernization initiative?
Try approaching it like a home improvement project, advised Corona
Ngatuvai, Enterprise Architect for the Utah Department of
Technology Services.
As every homeowner knows, it’s never a simple numbers game. Yes, every project has its price. But that price is only part of the story.
For example, let’s say you bought a house with a swamp cooler — that is, a system that cools the house by evaporating moisture rather than blowing cold air. You would much rather have traditional A/C, but making the change would not be cheap. Is it worth the switch?
Look at three factors, Ngatuvai said: 1. Cost. How much would installing
A/C cost upfront? And what’s the return on investment?
2. Maintenance. How much would it cost to maintain the existing system if you chose not to replace it? In other words, at what point will ongoing maintenance costs eat into any costs you avoid in installing the new system?
3. Risk. What are the risks of postponing a decision? For example, could you find yourself dealing with costlier problems in the event of a breakdown?
Try applying this to your next modernization project.
MATCHMAKING PROCUREMENT PROS AND END USERS
Even in the best of circumstances, agencies often struggle to buy products or services that satisfy end users. In responding to the pandemic, when there was a need for speed, it seemed even less likely. This was the situation Colorado faced in gathering pandemic-related data.
The state had to aggregate, analyze and report COVID-19 information for the population, but counties controlled the collection of COVID-19 data. As a result, the state had to find a way to receive information across 64 counties and 53 local health agencies.
MAKE HAY WITH SUCCESS STORIES
“We got involved, our tiny little team, and said, ‘Hey, let’s do some user research. Let’s talk to contact tracers. Let’s talk to the local public health
agencies.’” said Kelly Taylor, Director of Colorado’s Digital Service. “And we did that. And teased
out more of an accurate view of what everyone needs.”
Pairing up with acquisition teams, the state created a vendor matrix to ensure that its solution would meet user needs. The procurement team sat through interviews and listened to users’ concerns before reaching the final stage.
Then, a two-week bake-off for the final vendors took place, during which they built tools, created sandboxes and performed usability testing.
Z z z z z z Z Z z z Z Z Z z z z z z z z z z z z Z Z Z Z Z Z
Talking tech can get pretty dull at times, even for those who make a living in the field.
That’s why when top technologists and data scientists discuss what they do, the first words out of their mouths won’t be about the technical daily grind. Instead, they’ll hail the end result.
the last mile,” said Carlos Rivero, outgoing Chief Data Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The hardest parts are getting people to buy in and then teaching them the skills they need to capitalize on data, Rivero said. The data movement that Virginia rallied wasn’t about 100,000 state employees suddenly choosing a new hobby. It was about the state setting out to beat back the opioid crisis. And data was a major weapon in its arsenal.
This one high-profile project garnered interest across the board. Rivero established connections with several agencies, all with a part to play and data to analyze tracking opioid usage in communities.
While that project remains an ongoing priority, it was his “in” at many organizations — a starting point for the broader use of data. Since demonstrating the process for turning data into insights, Rivero has solidified the prominence of data projects for the commonwealth.
Increase Privileged Access Security and Compliance Posture
Government agencies hold a vast amount of sensitive information, ranging from personnel records, budgetary data, and inter-community communications to intelligence findings related to terrorists and hostile nations. Such data is a prime target for sophisticated attacks launched by rival nation-states, terrorist groups, hacktivists, and cybercriminals. In addition, insider threats remain a constant concern. Trusted by top government agencies, ThycoticCentrify Privileged Access Management solutions help by addressing the #1 cause of such breaches — privileged access abuse.
PRIVILEGED ACCESS: MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE PASSWORD
An interview with Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scienist and Advisory CISO, ThycoticCentrify
People rarely think of password management solutions as a force for enlightenment, but Joe Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at ThycoticCentrify, makes a good case for why they are.
“Everyone has a finite amount of time, and a thoughtful password security program honors that and helps people use their time wisely,” Carson said. “Good cybersecurity has the power to reduce the hours people waste choosing new passcodes, struggling with logins and contacting IT departments.”
Done correctly, Carson said, password management can help governments implement innovative strategies that solve far-reaching problems.
And, like the medical agencies that used ThycoticCentrify’s privileged access management solutions last year, good cybersecurity can keep employees healthy — and boost their productivity — while working remotely, in line with COVID-19 protocols.
What’s the Priority?
One of the top priorities in almost any agency is protecting identities and access to ensure that cyber intruders can’t use legitimate credentials to make their way into places they shouldn’t be, Carson said.
“This has really been looking at how to make sure that as employees, contractors and third parties are accessing systems, that they’re doing it securely, that we have continuous verification, continuous authentication, that we enforce the principle of least privilege, that people are only accessing things they should be entitled to,” he said.
Firms such as ThycoticCentrify “move passwords more into the background,” according to Carson. Instead of
employees remembering long strings of ever-changing passcodes, security controls do that on the back end and automate them.
Such a behind-the-scenes approach eases password pain. Friction when users try to sign in encourages them to bypass security protocols.
There’s a Security 'Perimeter'
As more people work remotely from various locations and devices, the traditional perimeter of network security vanishes. Personal homes have become extensions of government computer systems.
Carson said. “We have to get the
basics right. What do we still have control of? And it’s the identity. The identity is the new perimeter and access the new security”.
Privileged access controls and continuous verification are the ways to secure that perimeter. “Enable people to easily access the things they need to when they need to, but at the same time, satisfy the strict security controls required to keep threats out,” Carson said.
Zero Trust = Mindset
There are many in vogue terms in the cybersecurity world today, and zero trust is one of them. For Carson, it’s a simple concept.
“Zero trust is not something you install, it’s not a product or a checkbox,” he said. “Zero trust is a mindset about how you wish to operate, or how you need to operate … in a secure way. It’s about how you practice security and how you plan your security strategy.”
What’s a good way to start? Hold true to a basic premise: only some people should have access to some things on a computer network.
HOW TO FOLD INNOVATION INTO YOUR WORKFLOWS
An interview with Mark Comishock, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Director of Product Management, Oracle
Innovation involves trying new things, but not every experiment ends successfully. Across the public sector, the stakes are high – one misstep could keep crucial products and services from constituents. How can agencies ensure that their innovations succeed?
The answer is by focusing on the journey rather than the destination. Take artificial intelligence (AI), which features machines mimicking human traits such as learning. To use AI effectively, agencies must carefully consider the path that they will take toward such innovations.
and technology,” said Mark Comishock, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Director of Product Management at Oracle, a software provider. “How can we bring these
three things together to help optimize and create better efficiencies?"
Using AI as an example, Comishock explained three ways agencies can easily fold innovations into their workflows.
1. Consider CX
Agencies exist to serve constituents, so the CX they provide matters. When innovating, agencies should consider how changes might improve it.
For instance, AI chatbots can answer basic questions about topics such as completing tax forms. Subsequent interactions between constituents and agencies’ human employees, meanwhile, can focus on complex subjects like this year’s unique tax deductions.
“There’s opportunities for how people can use technology to make a better experience for the citizen,” Comishock said.
2. Evaluate the impact on employees
Agencies’ innovations do not affect only constituents, but employees, too. When exploring major shifts like AI, agencies should examine the impact on their workforces.
Remember AI chatbots? They can manage tasks such as resetting passwords, saving users energy and time. After all, AI never rests and can assist workers around the clock.
“What are the things that are impeding you from getting things done?” Comishock said agencies should ask themselves. “It’s being introspective about your operational processes to optimize and streamline.”
3. Determine the data needs
Data is a precious commodity that can fuel innovations ranging from AI to analytics that predict future trends about subjects such as housing. Unfortunately, agencies are encountering more data from more sources than ever before. Federal, state or local, agencies at all levels can find it challenging to understand all this information.
“Some key best practices are looking at the type of data, where you’re getting your data sources from and ensuring that data is used according to the agreement under which it was collected,” Comishock said. “You should have some expectation of what you’re going to get vs. ‘Let’s just throw it out there and see what happens.’”
Oracle can help agencies collect, analyze, store and understand their data. Ultimately, the insights from this information can ensure that agencies innovate in ways that benefit their customers and workers.
“How do I take advantage of things like AI that can go to the cloud, where you can store huge amounts of data?” Comishock said of Oracle’s tools. “There’s the innovation side that we help customers with.”
