Key Takeaways from the New York Digital Government Summit

Key Takeaways from the New York Digital Government Summit

This fall, GCOM attended the New York Digital Government Summit, where government and industry leaders came together to discuss how state agencies leveraged data and technology to address challenges posed by COVID-19 and plans for investment moving forward. Here are our key takeaways from the event:

Mobile expedience is no longer optional

COVID-19 forced state and local governments across the country to rapidly shift from in-person service delivery to digital methods. And like most state governments, New York is increasingly investing in public-facing mobile apps that allow residents to request and receive services with the touch of a button. These apps can reduce resident confusion (and frustration), improve service delivery, and help control support costs. With that mobile expedience, however, comes cybersecurity concerns. At the Summit, New York’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Rajiv Rao, cited increased attempts to gain fraudulent access to these systems to exploit benefits, access sensitive data, and more. Thus, security must be ramped up alongside mobile access.

Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Achieve Zero Trust

New York’s Office of the CTO recently conducted an identity and access management audit of login credentials to identify gaps in its security and pinpoint opportunities to better align with a zero trust approach, which grants users the least amount of access possible in order to to limit opportunities for exposure. New York is not alone in this. As threats like ransomware and supply chain attacks continue to grow, state CIOs anticipate a growth in the adoption of enterprise identity and access management solutions – which are the cornerstone of a zero trust approach. State and local governments are, and will continue to, benefit from such solutions.

Keep moving forward

As a result of the pandemic, there’s a more acute awareness of the benefits – and risks – of remote technologies. State and local governments are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks by investing in solutions that help them to better prevent and manage cybersecurity concerns. From identity and access management solutions that limit risk exposure, to data and analytics frameworks that safely and securely store and share data, we’re seeing a procurement momentum that shows no sign of slowing.