Cybersecurity will get harder. The combination of IoT-connected infrastructure and increasingly sophisticated attacks will make cybersecurity an even bigger challenge for special district leaders in the coming years, said Government Technology Chief Innovation Officer Dustin Haisler, in the summit’s future-ready keynote.
Social engineering attacks are on the rise, he said, pointing to a recent rash of incidents where attackers posing as contractors fooled agencies into making large payments. In addition, smart infrastructure is opening new vulnerabilities -- and Haisler even expects intelligent vehicles to become ransomware targets.
Districts must adopt a risk management approach that treats cybersecurity as a threat to critical business functions. “Cybersecurity needs to be a function of how we do things,” Haisler said. “It’s not just the CIO’s job -- it’s everyone’s job.”
Special districts are in the crosshairs. David Leach, AT&T Public Sector Principal Architect, said special districts are becoming bigger targets for cyber crooks as they automate functions and collect and store more data. At the same time, powerful software weapons are becoming readily available to attackers.
“The tools are easy to get on the dark web. You can basically buy an attack with bitcoin,” said Leach.
Leach joined Antonio Enriquez, a cybersecurity advisor with the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), for a session explaining how special districts can improve their cybersecurity posture. Both Leach and Enriquez pointed to the growing need for districts to understand and mitigate security vulnerabilities.
Districts can start that process with free vulnerability scans from CISA, said Enriquez. “We provide a report on what we find – and we can scan your systems on a scheduled basis to spot trends and check for vulnerabilities from emerging threats.”
Recruiting and retaining employees demands creativity. As competition for talent heats up, special districts need to think differently about hiring and engaging employees. Leaders from two Chicago-area park districts said they’ve taken a number of steps – including raising salaries, loosening up vacation day policies, providing better quality laptops and smartphones, and offering free access to golf courses and other park facilities – to become more attractive to employers.
“We’re competing more than ever with the private sector,” said Dustin Sneath, superintendent of information technology for the Elk Grove Park District, during a session on building future workforces.
Both Sneath and fellow panelist Jeff Nehila, executive director of the Deerfield Park District, said educational opportunities are a powerful tool to keep employees happy. “It’s good to invest in your staff -- and make sure that your people see that your investing,” said Nehila. “Encourage them to continue their education. Budget for it. It’s a great benefit and people like it.
Users want a better experience. Consumerization of technology is ramping up citizen expectations for digital services from public agencies. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is responding by launching new mobile apps – including a new incident reporting tool for citizens – and offering more electronic forms online, said John Sudduth, the district’s director of information technology.
He said mobility has become an important strategy to engage and serve citizens. “What’s happened is the smartphone has become the PC. It’s truly a personal computer.”
The trend is impacting the district’s internal users too, added Sudduth. “Our employees want technology they can just pick up and use without intensive training. As government IT leaders, we need to do a better job of providing tools that all of our constituents can use intuitively.”
Read more coverage of the event.
2019 Midwest Award Winners
Eight special districts earned recognition in Chicago for technology innovation. Award winners are doing everything from expanding Wi-Fi in public parks and launching microtransit services to strengthening internal audits and improving planning and budgeting. In addition, Demetria Simpson, president and CEO of the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority in Toledo, won an individual leadership award for leading a range of internal and citizen-facing modernization projects. Meet all of the Midwest Region Innovation Award winners here.District Spotlight
GoMentum Station, an enormous smart vehicle test site operated by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority in northern California, will be the proving ground for Olli AV autonomous shuttle technology.Local Motors, manufacturer of Olli AV shuttles, will work with the authority to fine-tune connected vehicle technology used to control its small electric shuttles. This isn’t the first time GoMentum has served as a real-world testbed for self-driving vehicles. The authority led efforts to test autonomous shuttles from another manufacturer several years ago, and it recently won a $7.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to operate three more autonomous shuttle pilots.
Randy Iwasaki, executive director for the authority and a member of the Special District Program’s national advisory board, says these activities are part of the authority’s mission to close transportation gaps using economical and sustainable technologies.
“These vehicles are first- and last-mile technology that are very, very safe,” he said.
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More Articles Worth a Read
Here are the latest stories from special districts around the country. Share your own news with us for inclusion in the next newsletter.Wildfire risks in California are driving more interest in microgid electricity systems, which may help hospitals, municipal services and other critical functions continue to operate during natural disasters. The Sonoma County Community College District in California recently launched a $5 million project to create a solar-powered microgrid which can operate independently of the local electric utility when power is interrupted.
Officials at the Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) International Airport are considering a self-driving shuttle to ferry passengers around one of the airport’s remote parking lots -- with hopes of adding more autonomous vehicles in the future. The DFW Airport Board is considering a six-month lease proposal for one shuttle, which could begin testing in November.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has until April 2020 to complete a $2 million state legislative commissioned study on the viability of a hyperloop transit system in the state. Public and private sector officials recently met to discuss whether Elon Musk’s high-speed transit concept could work, given the state’s geography and other factors.
