Bringing more to the table and stacking the odds in our favor

Defend against certain threats and not others? That's a gamble, whether you're protecting your home, your health or your hybrid SUV. It works only so long as threats materialize solely where you've prepared.

Cybersecurity in state government too is plainly no place for shaky bets. Two sure ways to tilt things in our favor are to, first, defend across the board, and second, involve more allies in a shared defense.

Both are built into GTA's plans for further invigorating the state's cyber defenses. In fiscal year 2025 just started, cybersecurity gets a power booster as GTA's Office of Information Security aims to implement key security measures more broadly. Tools and tactics in use and proven effective already at a set of key state agencies will be extended across the whole of Georgia's executive branch.

What tools? To simplify, three. Used together and uniformly across all agencies, they make a powerful combination. Crowdstrike for endpoint security (i.e., for staff computers). Splunk for security incident management when trouble arises. And Tenable, in combination with Crowdstrike, for vulnerability management to help identify weaknesses that need attention. And I could add a fourth, Proofpoint for security awareness training -- already in place.

The tool names are for IT folks, but the benefits are for all of us. Benefits like better visibility and coordination of security efforts across the whole of state government. That alone is so valuable because we are all in this together. Our systems are connected, and security incidents can spread fast. If one entity is vulnerable, there's risk for others.

As GTA's security team partners with additional agencies to implement these measures, the state will also see its ranks of security monitors grow. That's more trained eyes at more agencies that know how to spot cybersecurity concerns and how to plug in to state resources for support if and when incidents arise.

We aim to be well advanced with implementing these steps even by the close of this calendar year. We'll need your help to do it. I'm not expecting everyone, in every department at every agency, to make cybersecurity job 1. It does though have to be a key part of any job that involves our government systems and data.

That's at the heart of this expanded cybersecurity push in FY '25. It explains why OPB, the Governor's Office and the legislature have all put their backing behind these efforts. And it explains why I'm asking for your collaboration. Work with us to get these security measures in place across Georgia's executive branch, and beyond. GTA's Office of Information Security has mobilized to implement these tools. They're ready to partner with you and answer any questions. (GaCyber@gta.ga.gov). I thank you in advance for your part in improving the odds of successful cyber defense.

Shawnzia Thomas

State Chief Information Officer

GTA Executive Director

Summit points to great promise in digital transformation

The GTA-hosted Technology Summit last month saw participants getting ready for the future. A future full of technology-fueled opportunities and challenges to keep things interesting. Summit speakers illustrated how technologies -- some new, some already familiar -- are making digital transformation a priority for any government trying to best serve its constituents.

The new (AI) and the not-so-new (cybersecurity) will likely weave together, making an obvious mark on the way government operates. In Georgia and beyond. Featured speaker Steve Bennett of SAS offered examples of using artificial intelligence as a tool in digital transformation, and importantly how to manage the risks of AI so they don't become prohibitive.

Cybersecurity expert Gerald Auger provided a picture of today's cyber threat landscape. As he does on his Simply Cyber youtube channel, Gerald illustrated the perils of inadequate cyber defense and encouraged vigilance and rigor in security regimens.

Rounding out discussion at the June 11 virtual summit, innovation leader Ray Holder of Maximus made a case for prioritizing innovation, not just to shape a preferred future but to succeed in that future. He shared illustrations of varied organizations, public- and private-sector, that are thriving on the strength of digital transformation.

Recordings of the three featured presentations are available for review. The annual summit drew together business and IT leaders from Georgia's state and local government entities, as well as members of the IT vendor community.

GOVChats and GOVTalks,

so listen up

At the next GOVChats coming up July 23, Colorado's department of labor will describe its implementation of a new application built with the consumer of government services firmly in mind. To succeed, this Family and Medical Leave Insurance program application had to be user-friendly and easy to use.

If those criteria sound to you like essentials in delivering government services, you're already on the path to meeting today's constituent expectations. It applies just as much in Georgia as it does in Colorado, and that's why GTA's Digital Services & Solutions team is hosting this digital services case study. Register today to participate in this online event.

Each session in the GOVChats series brings together IT leaders to talk across state lines about varying approaches to tackling common challenges in government technology. Two previous installments addressed emerging AI programs in state government and digital platforms management (e.g., website hosting).

It doesn't stop with chats. The Digital Services team is also behind the long-running GOVTalks series that focuses on best practices for presenting customer-centric digital content. The spring 2024 GOVTalks virtual conference featured GTA's Chief Digital and AI Officer Nikhil Deshpande and a look at AI's expected transformative effect on constituent services. Other speakers explored AI literacy programs, AI-friendly website content and more.

You can access recordings of those GOVTalks presentations, as well as the first two GOVChats, via the Digital Services website events page.

• GTA is partnering with the University of North Georgia's TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership to develop an ethics guide for state government implementations of emerging or advanced technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence). The guide, EthicsDNA, is in development now, along with an accompanying training program to equip state employees for these ethical considerations. Rollout is expected in 2025. Georgia is among states at the forefront of advancing ethical considerations in generative AI use, and this work (funded in part by a grant from the TRUIST Charitable Fund) is central to this aspect of the state's evolving AI program. Discussion of EthicsDNA will be featured at e.Republic's AI Summit for State and Local Government in August in Austin, Texas.

• The GTA-led data center space optimization and upgrade project continues at the North Atlanta Data Center. Everything from storage devices to firewalls, appliances and servers are shifting. That includes the mainframe system that moved in June. Migrations of additional network-related systems and agency servers lie ahead. It's all happening as the state shrinks its computing space at the NADC. A new lease effective October 31 at the facility will reflect decreased on-premises computing needs as use of cloud services expands. Monthly information sessions for agency IT focals carry on through the summer to help coordinate efforts between the project team and affected agencies.

• Mark your calendars for the annual Georgia Digital Government Summit, coming on October 11. Planned as a one-day, in-person event this year, it will be held at the Westin Buckhead hotel. The summit provides an opportunity for state and local government IT staff and business leaders to get inspired. Along with leading IT service providers, they explore options for harnessing technology’s potential to meet business needs. They describe innovative tactics, share successes, and discuss common challenges. Watch for registration information coming soon.