How state CIOs can reinvigorate technology systems in the new year

With the new year comes new challenges—and as we enter year three of the pandemic, state governments are evolving as citizen needs continue to shift. States play an essential role in maintaining operations, and they are always looking for solutions that deliver for citizens while ensuring continuity of operations.

NASCIO recently released the annual State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2022—and cybersecurity, data management and digital government rank at the top. With the rise of cybersecurity concerns, a growing emphasis on data, and a desire to improve digital services, CIOs are focused on solutions that efficiently and effectively deliver on citizen needs.

The future of citizen services relies on flexible, agile solutions that facilitate a swift recovery in the event of a cyberattack, organize a robust data management strategy, and enable the seamless transition to digital government in 2022 and beyond.

Understanding cybersecurity risks
Unsurprisingly, cybersecurity and risk management remain top priorities for state CIOs, as ransomware continues to plague the public sector. States hold large amounts of personal citizen data, making them a prime target for ransomware attacks.

And yet, outdated protection systems continue to weigh states down. A NASCIO/Deloitte cybersecurity survey found that a lack of budget has been the number one concern of state-level chief information security officers every year since 2010. Most states spend only 1 or 2 percent of their IT budgets on cybersecurity, and nearly half of states do not have a cybersecurity budget that is separate from their IT budget.

A ransomware attack is often right around the corner, so IT leaders must prioritize rapid restore and data backup. Investing in solutions that include data-protection features can be essential for quickly recovering data after a disruptive event and ensuring mission-critical support. State leaders should invest in solutions that stay ahead of known exploits and vulnerabilities, control access to secure files, and lockdown data from malicious attacks. IT leaders should mitigate risk and bolster data security—because the best way to avoid an attack is to stay ahead of it.

Harnessing the power of data
The strategic use of data management and analytics also tops the list of state CIO priorities. States must have the proper infrastructure in place to gain strategic insight from their growing amounts of data. Data holds the power to unlock critical insights and advance state missions. By maximizing data, states can expand artificial intelligence (AI) and big data capabilities and harness the power of data to advance the mission.

States should look to implement a modern data experience that enables them to extract more value from their data while reducing the complexity and expense of managing the infrastructure behind it. By making sense of data through AI and analytics, states can simplify operations, power data insights, and transform legacy infrastructure for agile delivery with modern structured and unstructured data. States can revolutionize operations by leveraging data, and it’s important to master data management and integration for the best citizen services.

Embracing digital government services
Lastly, the dire need for digital government and services remains more important than ever, as government practices constantly evolve. One of the most eye-opening realities to come out of the pandemic is the fragility of critical government service delivery systems and the aging technologies they rely on. According to a report from NASCIO, 94 percent of state CIOs say COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated citizen demand for digital government services. Yet, the overnight shift to virtual government pushed state leaders to achieve modernization success, which would have usually taken years, to just a few months.

Now, state governments must double down on technology solutions to continue focusing on how to serve citizens in the new digital age. The best solutions are those that propel modernization by advancing agency missions and elevating citizen service. A narrowed focus on improving and digitizing citizen experience will allow for maximum growth across states.

Kickstarting state government modernization
2022 will present its fair share of challenges to state governments but investing in the proper storage and technology solutions will optimize data management and protection strategies for all citizens. State CIOs should look to strengthen their cyber infrastructures and commit to a unified approach for the best outcomes.

Investing in a right-sized, efficient storage system and application containers can help agencies elevate citizen service capabilities while addressing the critical areas of cyber protection, data management, and digital services. The rise in popularity of As-a-Service solution was a testament to the systems’ abilities to sustain rapid modernization in the changing environment — just what governments need in uncertain times.

By bolstering cybersecurity practices, focusing on data analysis, and investing in the transition to digital government, states can propel modernization and advance their missions while seeking out IT solutions that will continue to serve citizens as needs change and develop.

Michael Wiseman is the vice president, public sector, Pure Storage, leading the sales team responsible for state, local and education customers in the United States. In his current role, Wiseman is responsible for developing a team to enable the transformation of how public sector customers protect, serve and educate their constituents by leveraging technology to connect, innovate and lead. Prior to joining Pure Storage, Wiseman spent 17 years at Cisco.