4 takeaways from the 2022 NASCIO Midyear Conference

The dramatic shift to hybrid or remote work environments launched by the COVID-19 pandemic left many state organizations and government agencies struggling to keep up with the technology needed to support their mobile workforce. State Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and business leaders from around the U.S. gathered on May 1-4 in National Harbor, Maryland to discuss some of the latest IT trends as part of the 2022 National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Midyear Conference.

State CIOs, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and private sector solution providers focused their attention on all things related to IT modernization and digital operations.

Understanding the importance of cybersecurity

A major topic that dominated conference panels and IT leader discussions was how utterly paramount cybersecurity continues to be for state and government agencies and their employees.

Fast changes in technology, sometimes forced by remote work environments, can pose cyberattack threats. Small IT teams throughout many state organizations are struggling to acquire and retain IT security talent, finding it challenging to implement effective enterprise security infrastructures for their hybrid workforces.

To help bridge this gap, SHI can develop a comprehensive security strategy for your organization, ensuring your infrastructure, data, and personnel are protected from cybersecurity threats and malicious actors.

Broadband expansions are on the rise

With the 2022 U.S. state legislative elections slated to be held on November 8, state officials are introducing topics like broadband internet into their states’ future agendas. Many of them are hoping to utilize COVID-19 funding that has been made available for broadband initiatives aimed at unserved and underserved regions.

However, both wired and wireless broadband implementation can present a challenge for government IT staff with limited resources. Each solution category comes with its own complex federal regulations, and a massive pool of potential end users.

We can work with your organization to ensure sufficient bandwidth is available for your end users, and our technical training team of manufacturer-certified experts can help your IT team implement and adapt new technologies.

Digital government equals better citizen engagement

Another topic emerging from the conference was the pressing need state IT leaders have for digital modernization of their agencies’ infrastructure. This includes incorporating more internet of things and artificial intelligence/virtual reality (AI/VR) technologies and placing a greater emphasis on tracking IT assets. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a citizen engagement performance gap between government organizations with and without modernized IT environments.

The lesson IT leaders learned in the past two years is that citizens want a digital, single-pane-of-glass management structure for all government services – whether it’s taxes, licenses, or emergency services. Conference participants advocated against siloed administrative systems and for a modernized, collaborative digital government.

Legacy modernization is a must

Digital modernization and cloud migration were among the components state IT leaders stressed as part of their infrastructure transformation strategies. Securing the funds to implement those initiatives, as well as building an actual plan for utilizing the money, are additional puzzle pieces that still need to be connected.

Even though President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure law earlier this year packed with new funding for broadband, transit, roadways, and cybersecurity improvements, many state and local leaders are still awaiting guidance from federal agencies like the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on how and when grants will be distributed and applied.

SHI is a frequent partner and collaborator with NASCIO and other senior-level government organizations on all things digital transformation and cybersecurity. For more insight into secure digital modernization, read our related thought leadership on 7 Ways State CISOs Can Go Bold for Cybersecurity. Ready to learn how you can modernize your IT infrastructure this summer? Contact us today to start building a plan.