State Government

Public- and private-sector speakers during the Massachusetts Municipal Cybersecurity Summit highlighted local agencies’ particular vulnerability to ransomware as well as key strategies and resources to help.

Annette Dunn, Iowa’s chief information officer, has resigned from her post, accepting a new job opportunity in the private sector. Her last day in state government is Oct. 22.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry recently launched SkillUp PA, a free virtual job training program that offers online training to bolster the commonwealth’s information technology workforce.

Cybersecurity insurance is becoming more expensive and harder to get, and some insurers are backing out of the market altogether. Where does that leave state and local government?

Various experts have suggested that states should spend opioid settlement dollars on data-focused technology. So far, states have been quiet on possible tech investments, citing other steps that must be taken first.

Under a recently proposed Wisconsin bill, lawmakers are considering the use of federal relief funds to create a grant program aimed at expanding the state's wireless broadband and cellular service.

Fax machines have largely disappeared from private-sector offices, yet remain in many state and local government agencies. Eliminating them will not only save money, but also push forward digital services.

To address racial and ethnic disparities, Massachusetts lawmakers are considering reducing Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority fares and shoring up Internet infrastructure with American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Governments are embracing a larger role in collective cybersecurity, creating cross-jurisdictional partnerships to make states, cities and counties more secure. Here's what that looks like in practice.

Former New Hampshire CISO Daniel Dister has accepted a position with the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget, leaving state CIO Denis Goulet to temporarily take on the role.

Carol Burroughs, the assistant director of North Carolina's Data Division, has been tapped to serve as the state's interim chief data officer. She replaces former CDO John Correllus, who retired Oct. 1.

Many in government and industry think hydrogen has more potential than solar and wind to reduce carbon emissions and meet the country's energy needs, so New Mexico is positioning itself as a hydrogen energy leader.

Worthington, Mass., is the latest town that has benefited from the Last Mile Program, which is working to bring high-speed Internet to 53 towns. Worthington's network is the result of a public-private partnership.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has unveiled the product of its $1.5 million investment: the Med City Mover, a small autonomous shuttle traveling on a 1.5-mile loop in the city of Rochester.

According to individuals from the private sector who have worked with Ohio to reduce instances of fraud with the state's unemployment system, the state has fared better than others in dealing with fraud.

Brom Stibitz, the CIO and director of the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, will leave his position Oct. 16. Stibitz has worked with the department since 2015.

The Maine ethics commission voted 3-2 this week to investigate whether the conservative political group ALEC is illegally trying to influence elections by providing a software package to lawmakers.

The cyber landscape has evolved to an almost unrecognizable degree in the past twenty years. We look at recent history, analyze policy changes aimed at battling today’s threats and consider what the future may hold.