NASCIO, CDG and IBM Release Report on Current AI Trends Among State IT Executives

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), along with the Center for Digital Government and IBM, today released a study on current artificial intelligence (AI) trends among state information technology executives. The study is an overview of survey responses from 45 states including state CIOs and their deputies, chief technology officers and selected agency heads. It also includes insights from in-depth interviews with multiple state CIOs.

New NASCIO President and North Carolina Secretary and State CIO Eric Boyette said, “Like most states, we continue to face a shortage, but have found that having AI resources such as chatbots allows employees to work more efficiently. AI has also allowed us to quickly analyze a large volume of security threats so that we can focus on the ones that need immediate attention. While AI is new for most states, I think it’s the direction that are all moving in.”

“This study is another validation of the productivity and personalization improvements AI will bring to government processes, professions and platforms. It will truly transform how government works and delivers services to citizens in a secure integrated way,” said Brenda Harvey, General Manager, Public Market, IBM.

The publication highlights challenges such legacy IT infrastructure, cultural concerns, lack of necessary staff skills for AI and organizational data silos and also includes recommendations or best practices including:

• Consider creating a framework for AI adoption
• Create multidisciplinary teams to address change management
• Assess data
• Modernize legacy infrastructures with targeted technology investments
• Choose AI projects where success can be clearly measured

The publication is available on the NASCIO website: www.NASCIO.org/ResourceCenter

NASCIO Honors Two Exemplary State CISOs

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded the Thomas M. Jarrett Cybersecurity Scholarship to two exceptional state chief information security officers (CISOs). This is the seventh year for the scholarship program, which was created to pay homage to Thomas M. Jarrett, past president of NASCIO (2004 – 2005), for his passion for cybersecurity. The scholarship grants current CISOs the opportunity to attend the NASCIO Annual Conference and contribute to the national dialogue on cybersecurity and related issues.

The 2019 Thomas M. Jarrett Cybersecurity Scholarship recipients are:

Andy Hanks
Chief Information Security Officer, State of Montana
Nominated by Tim Bottenfield, CIO, State of Montana

As the CISO for the State of Montana, Andy oversees the state’s information security program and is responsible for protecting and preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of citizen’s data and the state’s information assets. As state CISO, Andy has worked to obtain funding for the Montana Cybersecurity Enhancement Project; launched programs to raise students’ security awareness and interests; established a state cybersecurity apprenticeship program; created workforce development initiatives; formed the Montana Girls Cybersecurity Workgroup; formed the multi-agency Election Security Workgroup; enhanced the state’s security controls; and implemented a new security awareness training for all state employees.

Maria Thompson
Chief Risk Officer, State of North Carolina
Nominated by J. Eric Boyette, CIO, State of North Carolina

As the Chief Risk Officer for the State of North Carolina, Maria manages an enterprise team of security and privacy professionals for the State of North Carolina. During her tenure, Maria has developed statewide cybersecurity policies and procedures including data classification, BYOD, cloud computing and continuous monitoring strategy; developed an enterprise security IT optimization plan; developed the state’s Security Assessment and Compliance Program; established the state’s first Cyber Work Group; established and managed the state’s first Disabled Veterans Cyber Workforce Apprenticeship program; developed and facilitated North Carolina’s adoption of the NIST Risk Management Framework; and has promoted STEM careers, particularly in cybersecurity, to girls and women, across the state through educational programs and speaking engagements.

For more information about the Jarrett Award, including previous winners, please visit: www.nascio.org/Awards

NASCIO Announces New Association Leadership

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Today, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced the association’s executive leadership for the new program year. The president for the 2019-2020 program year is J. Eric Boyette, Chief Information Officer for the State of North Carolina, who succeeds James Collins, Chief Information Officer for the State of Delaware. Stephanie Dedmon, CIO for the State of Tennessee, and Greg Zickau, CIO for the State of Idaho, will also be joining NASCIO’s Executive Committee as new directors.

NASCIO’s 2019-20 Executive Committee leaders are:

Executive Committee Officers:

President
J. Eric Boyette, Chief Information Officer, State of North Carolina

Vice-President
Denis Goulet, Commissioner, State of New Hampshire

Secretary/Treasurer
Michael Leahy, Secretary of Information Technology, State of Maryland

Past President
James Collins, Chief Information Officer, State of Delaware

Executive Committee Directors:
Stephanie Dedmon, CIO, State of Tennessee
Yessica Jones, CTO, State of Arkansas
John MacMillan, CIO, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Dewand Neely, CIO, State of Indiana
Mark Raymond, CIO, State of Connecticut
Ed Toner, CIO, State of Nebraska
Greg Zickau, CIO, State of Idaho

NASCIO Observes Electronic Records Day

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Today, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is observing Electronic Records Day, sponsored by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA). Electronic Records Day is celebrated every year on October 10 as an opportunity to share what states and organizations are doing to manage digital resources and preserve electronic records.

In recognition of E-Records Day, CoSA has promoted electronic records awareness leading up to October 10 to raise community awareness of digital records, and of the need to manage and preserve them. CoSA reminds us that electronic records need regular attention and care in order to remain accessible. Join NASCIO and CoSA in promoting the importance of digital records and their preservation.

See CoSA’s Electronic Records Day page for more information and tips on managing e-records.

NASCIO Champions National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is once again observing National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) by being an official cybersecurity champion. The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the National Cyber Security Alliance are promoting cyber security awareness, safety and security online. Once again, NASCIO is partnering with these organizations to officially show support and promote a safer, more secure and trusted Internet.

This year, NCSAM will emphasize “personal accountability and stress the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity at home and in the workplace.” This year’s theme is Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. and will focus on key areas including citizen privacy, consumer devices and ecommerce security.

“NASCIO applauds those states who have issued proclamations to recognize October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and calls on everyone to commit their support to helping raise awareness about the importance of securing cyberspace,” said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson.

To learn more about participating in National Cyber Security Awareness Month, please visit www.staysafeonline.org.

NASCIO Brief Calls for Increased Engagement in Customer Relationship Management

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released a publication on customer relationship management (CRM). The business practice of CRM has become more important in the last several years as state chief information officers (CIOs) have had to adapt to a shift from owning and operating services to now being the broker of services and a more consolidated environment. This is evident in the fact that, in 2019, for the first time ever, CRM made the NASCIO State CIO Top 10 Priorities list at number seven. CRM, which is described as “building customer agency confidence, trust and collaboration; internal customer service strategies; and service level agreements,” is an integral part of a state CIO’s daily operations.

NASCIO President and Delaware CIO James Collins said, “In the face of rapidly-evolving business models and a significant increase in the demand for digital services, it is more critical than ever for CIOs to prioritize cultivating partnerships — especially with government agencies responsible for delivering life and safety citizen services. This focus is fundamental to understanding the business processes that underly the missions of these agencies and essential for leveraging technology to realize the promise of digital government.”

The publication highlights challenges such as agency loss of control, consolidation, rate setting and funding and acquisition and also includes recommendations or “keys” to successful customer relationship management:

  • Building relationships
  • Selling the benefits of shared services
  • Folding customer service into strategic plans
  • Providing internal training
  • Communications and feedback

The publication is available on the NASCIO website: www.NASCIO.org/ResourceCenter

NASCIO Announces Finalists for 2019 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has selected 30 finalists across 10 categories for the State IT Recognition Awards. Projects and initiatives from NASCIO member states and territories were eligible for nomination. NASCIO members served as volunteer judges to review the over 130 submissions, narrowing the nominees down to finalists in each category. From these finalists, a recipient from each category will be announced during an awards dinner at the upcoming NASCIO Annual Conference this October in Nashville, TN.

The award nominations showcase the use of information technology to address critical business problems, more easily connect citizens to their government, improve business processes and create new opportunities that improve the lives of citizens. To ensure states have access to the innovations and leading practices of their peers, all award submissions will be added to NASCIO’s awards library by late September.

Award finalists for the 2019 State IT Recognition Awards are:

Business Process Innovations 
State of Michigan: JobNet: Road to the Future 
State of North Carolina: Modernizing Estuarine Habitat Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles  
State of Tennessee: MHSAS’s Electronic Clinical Record, Using IT to Provide Better Patient Care 

Cross-Boundary Collaboration & Partnerships 
State of Georgia: Georgia Cyber Center 
State of Indiana: Connecting Indiana’s Medicaid and Corrections Data to Improve Hoosier Health 
State of North Carolina: Improving Emergency Response Precision with the State Emergency Response Application  

Cybersecurity 
State of Iowa: Election Cybersecurity Partnership Project 
State of Ohio: Digital Identity: Providing a Secure Customer Experience 
State of Texas: Managed Security Services – Provided by Texas for Texas Governments 

Data Management, Analytics & Visualization 
State of Connecticut: Cross Agency Data Sharing to Drive Value and Save Money 
State of Illinois: Winning Against Tax Fraud with Data Analytics 
State of Utah: Intergenerational Poverty Initiative Data Driven Solutions 

Digital Government: Government to Business 
State of Minnesota: Preparing for Emergencies: Medical PreCheck & Locator App 
State of North Carolina: Improving Health Outcomes through the State Health Information Exchange 
State of Tennessee: Rip, Replace, Revitalize! Project TR3 

Digital Government: Government to Citizen 
State of North Carolina: Women, Infants and Children Benefits in the Mobile Application Age 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES) and JobGateway Integration Initiative 
State of Tennessee: TennCare Connect: A Multi-Channel Gateway Elevating the Member Experience  

Emerging & Innovative Technologies  
State of New Jersey: Integrated Drug Awareness Dashboard (IDAD) 
State of Tennessee: Halt, Who Goes There? Tennessee’s Facial Recognition System (FRS) Project 
State of Washington: Using UAS Technology in Collision and Crime Scene Reconstruction 

Enterprise IT Management Initiatives 
State of Arizona: Building the Governance Model 
State of California: Examination and Certification Online System (ECOS) 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania IT and HR Shared Services Transformation 

Information Communications Technology (ICT) Innovations  
State of California: Identification and Removal of Hazardous Materials During Wildfire Response 
State of Georgia: Mobile Field Data Collection for Food Emergency Response 
State of Oklahoma: Oklahoma Videoconferencing Solution Saves Time for Citizens and State Employees 

State CIO Office Special Recognition 
State of California: Licensing Medicinal Adult-Use Cannabis 
State of Idaho: Instant Invoice Payments by Text Message and/or Email 
​State of Washington: Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System 

CISA, MS-ISAC, NGA & NASCIO Recommend Immediate Action to Safeguard Against Ransomware Attacks

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Take the First Three Steps to Resilience Against Ransomware for State and Local Partners

The recent ransomware attacks targeting systems across the country are the latest in a string of attacks affecting State and local government partners. The growing number of such attacks highlights the critical importance of making cyber preparedness a priority and taking the necessary steps to secure our networks against adversaries. Prevention is the most effective defense against ransomware.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), National Governors Association (NGA), and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) are committed to supporting ransomware victims and encouraging all levels of government to proactively protect their networks against the threat of a ransomware attack. Today, we call on our State, local, territorial and tribal government partners, along with the wider cyber community, to take the following essential actions to enhance their defensive posture against ransomware. Through this collective action, we can better protect ourselves and our communities, and further advance the cyber preparedness and resilience of the Nation.

Three Steps to Resilience Against Ransomware:

  1. Back-Up Your Systems – Now (and Daily)
    Immediately and regularly back up all critical agency and system configuration information on a separate device and store the back-ups offline, verifying their integrity and restoration process. If recovering after an attack, restore a stronger system than you lost, fully patched and updated to the latest version.
  2. Reinforce Basic Cybersecurity Awareness and Education
    Ransomware attacks often require the human element to succeed. Refresh employee training on recognizing cyber threats, phishing and suspicious links – the most common vectors for ransomware attacks. Remind employees of how to report incidents to appropriate IT staff in a timely manner, which should include out-of-band communication paths.
  3. Revisit and Refine Cyber Incident Response Plans
    ​Agencies must have a clear plan to address attacks when they occur, including when internal capabilities are overwhelmed. Make sure response plans include how to request assistance from external cyber first responders, such as state agencies, CISA and the MS-ISAC, in the event of an attack.

Additional Resources

After implementing these recommendations, refer to the ransomware best practices published by CISA, MS-ISAC, NGA, and NASCIO for additional steps to protect your organization.

Download PDF

NASCIO Endorses State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2019

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WASHINGTON, D.C., Thursday, July 11, 2019 —The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today endorsed S. 1846, the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2019. Introduced by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), the legislation amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for engagements with state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

Specifically, S. 1846 provides for additional federal grant opportunities to state, local and tribal governments to safeguard against cyber threats. It also strives to make serious efforts to strengthen the communication between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state and local officials to combat a myriad of cybersecurity threats. S. 1846 further codifies the coordination between DHS and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). Additionally, the legislation includes a proposed pilot deployment of enhanced capabilities to state and local governments to identify and filter malicious network traffic, which is currently only available to federal agencies.

NASCIO President and Delaware CIO James Collins lauded the introduction of S. 1846 saying, “states are the primary agents for delivering a host of critically important federally funded services on behalf of the federal government. For our CIOs and CISOs, this legislation would provide them with additional tools, resources and expertise to counteract a continuous barrage of cyber threats. We urge the Senate to pass S. 1846.”

The State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2019 was introduced in the United States Senate in June and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

NASCIO Conference Attendees Give Back Over $8,000 to Help Close Digital Divide in D.C.

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, May 22, 2019 —The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) provided a $8,391 donation to Washington, D.C. based Byte Back. Donations were collected during the NASCIO Midyear Conference in National Harbor through the Give Back program to thank the host community. NASCIO state, corporate and nonprofit members donated $5,391 through individual contributions and NASCIO provided a $3,000 donation.

“Bridging the digital divide by empowering diverse students and building the future technology workforce are vital to the work of state CIOs,” said James Collins, NASCIO President and Delaware CIO. “I could not be more proud of the generosity of our members’ support of Byte Back in its efforts to help adult students become part of the digital economy and change the face of the tech sector.”

Byte Back is an organization that helps diverse adults who have been left behind by the digital divide build a foundation of computer skills, earn tech certifications and become part of the growing digital economy. Graduates who were hired in 2018 started earning $27,599 more per year than before Byte Back.

“The generosity of NASCIO and its members will help Byte Back students move up a pathway of free tech training and into living-wage careers. It means so much to feel the support from the IT sector – from our own Washington, DC CTO to leaders around the country. NASCIO has helped put tech within reach for a group of diverse, talented people. The impact on Byte Back graduates could last for a lifetime,” said Elizabeth Lindsey, Byte Back Executive Director.

To learn more about Byte Back, visit www.byteback.org.