How state and local CIOs can prioritize security, cloud and legacy systems

NASCIO recently released the annual State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2023—and cybersecurity and risk management, legacy modernization and cloud services rank near the top. With rising cybersecurity concerns, a growing emphasis on upgrading legacy systems, and a desire for more flexible, cloud-based technology, CIOs are focused on solutions that efficiently and effectively deliver for citizens.

Local agencies must invest in flexible, agile solutions that facilitate a swift recovery in the event of a cyberattack, enable the seamless transition to hybrid cloud infrastructure, and organize a robust modernization strategy in 2023 and beyond.

Cybersecurity and risk management
Unsurprisingly, cybersecurity and risk management remain the top priority for local government leaders. In 2023, state and local IT leaders should focus on cyber skills training and protecting systems.

More than three million open cyber roles are available across industries, including the government. But local governments are not as prepared and protected as they need to be—and it will only worsen as attacks become more frequent and sophisticated.

And with the recent layoffs across the technology industry in the private sector, there is an opportunity for government agencies to level-up their technology workforce. State and local agencies must focus on filling cybersecurity needs by prioritizing cyber skills training and keeping cyber decision-making top-of-mind. In addition, local IT leaders can facilitate stronger data security by driving meaningful infrastructure and application decisions.

In addition to the overall priorities, NASCIO also recently released its 2023 Federal Advocacy Priorities—and expanding and strengthening the state cyber workforce remains the top priority. States can look for ways to improve cybersecurity recruiting and training to uplevel their service capabilities.

By building and improving in-agency cybersecurity skills, state and local IT leaders can leverage technical knowledge to select and apply the most advanced and data-savvy systems, leading to more reliable data protection. The most advantageous solutions are those that utilize As-a-Service capabilities—as they help shift costs and augment the shortage of skills needed to manage technology platforms.

In prioritizing cyber protection frameworks, data protection, and training and awareness, local IT leaders can reduce the risk of an attack. Agencies should ensure high-quality defenses at all points, prepare for the worst, and make backup and restore a priority.

Legacy modernization
Many legacy systems continue to age and will not be able to continue to serve organizations and their citizens. According to a survey from the National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD), 44 percent of current state application portfolios require modernization; three years from now, they estimated that percentage at 25 percent.

To try to combat this, state and local agencies must focus on implementing the proper IT modernization systems by migrating to modern, interoperable IT infrastructures. As local IT leaders make these shifts, they should seek technology solutions that best meet the needs of their agencies and stakeholders. With many different solutions on the market, those that offer agile and flexible consumption models are most valuable—as they allow agencies to scale up or down without massive disruptions.

In addition, state and local IT leaders can partner with private-sector corporations to modernize their IT infrastructures. Working collaboratively, the government can make strides in adopting modern practices. By creating an individualized path to modernization, local IT leaders can better deliver services to citizens in more specialized ways and continue to grow in their service capabilities.

Agencies should not treat IT strategies as static plans. Instead, state and local IT leaders should revisit their strategies on an ongoing basis as they move toward modernization. Modern systems can lead to enhanced platforms and applications, which leads to more substantial business process improvement.

Cloud services
Finally, understanding how to implement cloud services—including service selection, deployment, and procurement models—is essential for state and local mission achievement.

State and local agencies are often strained for technology resources, and the need to elevate the overall citizen experience on the road to digital government in the cloud era is growing every day. With the move to digital, local IT leaders must streamline and accelerate technologies to deploy integrated cloud, hybrid and multicloud architectures, and upgrade legacy applications that they rely on.

Through the support of containers, Kubernetes and microservices, IT teams can modernize their applications and gain the speed, agility and scale needed to support better citizen service, access and collaboration across the organization.

Investing in right-sized efficient storage systems and applications, containers can help agencies elevate citizen service capabilities while addressing the critical areas of cyber protection, legacy modernization and cloud services. A clear cloud strategy is essential to unlocking critical insights and advancing state and local missions.

Preparing for the future
The need for innovation in state and local organizations has become more critical than ever. Now is the time for local IT leaders to invest in solutions that propel their organizations forward. As they deal with more information than ever, state and local agencies must have the proper digital infrastructure to support operations.

In addition, a focus on sustainability initiatives can set agencies up for success. Architectural efficiency lowers costs, enables agencies to meet their most demanding requirements, and helps build sustainable storage solutions. Alignment to green initiatives, including power, energy and other sustainability goals, enables IT to advocate for more sustainable platform choices.

By bolstering cybersecurity practices through technology upgrades and skills training, upgrading outdated systems for more customized solutions, focusing on sustainability, and looking to the cloud for elevating capabilities, state and local agencies can continue to deliver on their missions and supply the proper tools for premier citizen service.

Michael Wiseman is the vice president, public sector, Pure Storage, leading the sales team responsible for state, local and education customers in the United States. In his current role, Wiseman is responsible for developing a team to enable the transformation of how public sector customers protect, serve and educate their constituents by leveraging technology to connect, innovate and lead. Prior to joining Pure Storage, Wiseman spent 17 years at Cisco.