With a team of 13, Dent oversees information security for more than 1 million residents and over 12,000 employees. In 2005, he worked with local leaders to create an annual Security Awareness Day for county workers — a yearly reminder of the importance of data protection and cybersecurity best practices.
“The critical thing is having a top-down mentality for cyber, having the Board of Supervisors who are elected make that proclamation, which shows the employees that it’s a priority for them as well,” Dent said. “The return on that is the security incidents have gone way down for us.”
That “top-down mentality” is crucial for cybersecurity funding as well, Dent said, adding that Fairfax County leaders have listened to his team and provided the financial support necessary to mitigate risk. The same cannot be said for all jurisdictions, especially smaller ones, according to Dent.
Dent has seen the challenges that come from a lack of adequate funding in his 16 years as chair of the Chief Information Security Officers Committee for the National Capital Region, as well as in his work as a member of the National Association of Counties.
“A lot of my counterparts across the country aren’t as fortunate as I am here,” Dent said. “They basically have to deal with shoestring budgets and figuring out how to maintain a secure capability.”
Moving ahead, Dent said he’s exploring the use of artificial intelligence to help counter cyber attacks and looking at how the county could allow remote third-party access to critical infrastructure without sacrificing security.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Government Technology magazine. Click here to view the full digital edition online.
