State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong, State of California, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Amy Tong is making a difference for California by developing and deploying innovative and responsive solutions to the most critical needs in the business of government and providing quality assurance for state government IT projects and services.  
Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Tong, the Department of Technology, and the entire California IT community in their strategic focus on ensuring the security of sensitive information assets, fostering innovation and partnerships, enabling successful IT project establishments and delivery, and providing sustainable and efficient business enablement services. 
California is putting people at the center of these four areas; designing user-centered digital services for employees within state government and citizens that seek to interact with government effortlessly. “In serving the people of California, said Tong, “we’re leading the delivery of a better government.” 
Learn more about California’s story on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 

NASCIO Issues Blockchains – Advancing Digital State Government

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released the first in a series of briefs focused on blockchains. Blockchain technology can be employed in a variety of ways and the ideas for using this technology are just beginning to be explored. Blockchain technology can assist with transactions, creating a necessary audit trail, authorizing a decision, authenticating authority and establishing a system of record. 

“State CIOs, as technology and innovation leaders, are continually focused on solutions which can bring efficiency and effectiveness to the government enterprise. Blockchain technology possesses potential to transform numerous services delivered by government agencies at all levels, offering enhanced security, transparency and reliability,” said Dr. Craig Orgeron, chief information officer, state of Mississippi, and chair of the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture & Governance Committee. “This initial brief from the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture Committee will open an exploratory dialogue to what may be a game-changing technology.”

“Blockchain holds tangible promise for Illinois’ citizens and businesses and we are committed to exploring and embracing the technology’s potential for our state,” said Mike Wons, chief technology officer, state of Illinois. “As we move forward, we look forward to collaborating with all government entities, businesses, organizations and academia interested in participating in this exciting opportunity to join NASCIO in exploring the potential of blockchain technology.”

Read the brief at www.nascio.org/publications.

State Chief Information Officer Mark Bengel, State of Tennessee, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Monday, May 15, 2017 — State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Mark Bengel is making a difference for Tennessee by guiding the state through a consolidation plan that allows for the improvement of capabilities through shared resources, increased success by driving best practices and the simplification of IT environments to allow more focus on innovation.   

Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Bengel and the Department of Finance and Administration, Strategic Technology Solutions in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Tennessee’s profile will highlight how the state has evolved to their current Enterprise IT Transformation (EIT) initiative and will showcase what the future holds through a current project to create a citizen-centric government.

“Our EIT project has allowed us to do more by leveraging shared enterprise resources,” said Bengel. “We really do have some amazing things brewing here in Tennessee. We can’t wait to see what the future will bring us.”

Learn more about Tennessee’s story on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates.

NASCIO Conference Attendees Give Back to Virginia, Host City of 2017 Midyear Conference

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, May 9, 2017 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers provided a $7,355 donation to Second Story, a Virginia organization that provides services to youth, teens and families to ensure they have opportunities for learning, growth and success. Donations were collected during the NASCIO Midyear Conference in Arlington through the Give Back program as a way to thank the host state and community. NASCIO state, corporate and nonprofit members donated $4,355 through individual contributions and NASCIO provide a $3,000 donation. 
Second Story Executive Director Judith Dittman welcomed attendees during the conference and provided information about the organization, which recently changed its name from Alternative House. A person’s first story is the one they are handed, the one they were born into and the story that has happened to them. Judith and her team are there to support the second story, the narrative young people choose for themselves, and support them in achieving their goals. 
“It was an incredible honor to be invited to speak at the NASCIO conference,” said Dittman. “We are so grateful for the generosity of those attending. The give back fund will make a huge difference in the lives of young people who are striving to make successful life choices, do well in school, and give back to their community.”
Give Back funds will specifically support the refurbishment of four computer centers in the organization’s teen and youth programs. In addition to offering vital access to technology and information, the computer centers allow for a safe place for children and teens to interact with Second Story staff and volunteers and get plugged in with additional services that may be of benefit to them and their families.
To learn more about Second Story and their array of services, visit second-story.org. 

State Chief Information Officer Bo Reese, State of Oklahoma, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Monday, May 1, 2017 — State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Bo Reese is making a difference for Oklahoma by leading IT unification efforts, improving Wi-Fi and broadband service to students and improving public safety through the Criminal Justice Information Systems Center for Excellence.

Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Reese and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services Information Services division (OMES) in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Oklahoma’s profile will highlight the many success of their IT consolidation efforts, which have streamlined IT functions, reduced costs, and provided a more modern infrastructure to ensure citizen needs are met and data is protected. 

“We have some of the hardest working and most dedicated IT professionals in the state”, said Reese. “We want to show that we’re not just a prairie, we’re not just cows and fences; that we have a significant, robust technology base in Oklahoma."

Learn more about Oklahoma’s story on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 

State CIOs advocate for strong federal-state partnership to address cybersecurity and introduce efficiencies in the federal information security compliance process

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WASHINGTON, D.C. Wednesday, April 26, 2017 — Today NASCIO members met with federal officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA), FirstNet, and various strategic partners to emphasize the need for strong intergovernmental partnerships between the federal government and state governments.

Nearly 40 state CIOs and state technology officials participated in NASCIO’s 2017 Fly-In where they advocated to advance NASCIO’s advocacy priorities which includes cybersecurity. State CIOs heard from DHS Director of Federal Network Resilience Mark Kneidinger about federal resources available to states to combat cybersecurity threats. State CIOs also discussed cybersecurity and federal priorities with several association partners including the National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD).   

Additionally, as part of NASCIO’s advocacy effort to harmonize federal IT security regulations, representatives from the IRS and SSA joined NASCIO members to discuss ways to introduce efficiencies into the compliance process. State governments administer federal programs to state citizens and as such must comply with federal information security regulations like those contained in “IRS Publication 1075” and SSA’s “Electronic Information Exchange Security Requirements and Procedures for State and Local Agencies Exchanging Electronic Information with the SSA.” State CIOs are responsible for meeting the IT security needs of state agencies that deliver government services and have asked representatives from both the SSA and IRS to work together on normalizing the security audit process.

“State CIOs recognize the importance of securing citizen data. We appreciate the intent behind federal information security regulations that aim to protect citizen information. We appreciated the opportunity to discuss ways state CIOs could work in partnership with the IRS and SSA to improve the compliance process for all those involved. We look forward to ongoing and productive engagement with our federal partners,” said NASCIO President and Connecticut CIO, Mark Raymond.

NASCIO’s annual D.C. Fly-In convenes state CIOs and NASCIO’s federal and strategic partners for a day of advocacy and discussion related to current government affairs priorities: cybersecurity, FirstNet, flexibility in federal regulations impacting state IT, and information sharing. It also serves as an opportunity for state CIOs to establish and strengthen key relationships with federal decision-makers.  

NASCIO Issues Better Data Security Through Classification: A Game Plan for Smart Cybersecurity Investments

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released Better Data Security Through Classification: A Game Plan for Smart Cybersecurity Investments. The brief, a joint project between NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Committee and Data Protection Working Group, explains why a risk based cybersecurity approach is the most beneficial to state government data. When states take a risk based approach they improve operational efficiency, assessments are more accurate, attack surfaces are reduced and decision making is improved. As the brief states, taking an enterprise mentality brings together previously silo-based security and IT tools and allows for ongoing and continuous data monitoring and assessing. 

Data is critical to state government and why state chief information officers (CIOs) ranked data management and analytics-e.g. data governance; data architecture; strategy; business intelligence; predictive analytics; big data; roles and responsibilities-as a top priority for 2017 (www.nascio.org/topten). Additionally, in the 2016 State CIO Survey, 42% of state CIOs characterized data governance as high on their strategic and operational plan.

“A risk-based approach to cybersecurity is ideal for state governments because it enables incremental and measurable improvement. Data classification is a critical step in the process of understanding the critical data we protect,” said Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and CIO of the State of Connecticut. 

Today, it is not uncommon for the true and core value of a state to reside in its data assets, specifically the information it collects, develops, and stores, and in the products it develops and sells that are comprised of the data, or derived from the data. We live in the information age. Information is the fuel for the engine that propels virtually every decision that is made in business today. Once data is classified, there are additional steps that can and should be taken to realize all the benefits of classification, so this guide is intended to provide a path into what can become a “life-cycle” type of exercise, repeating at periodic intervals on into the future, rather than a project that becomes final, or “completed.” Systems and system data continue to change, so classification of the data must be updated in order to remain accurate and useful.

Read the brief at www.nascio.org/publications.

NASCIO Technology Champion Award Presented to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe with the association’s 2017 NASCIO Technology Champion award. Governor McAuliffe was presented the award at the 2017 NASCIO Midyear Conference in Arlington, VA for his leadership in advancing information technology as an effective tool for government.
“We are pleased to present the 2017 NASCIO Technology Champion award to Governor McAuliffe,” said Mark Raymond, CIO for the State of Connecticut and NASCIO president. “Governor McAuliffe has made prioritizing cybersecurity a trademark of his administration. His leadership in IT has had an immediate positive impact and serves as an example nationally.”
As Chair of the National Governor’s Association, Governor McAuliffe declared cybersecurity the top priority for states under a “Meet the Threat: States confront the Cyber Challenge” initiative.  A primary goal of the initiative is for states to develop strategies for strengthening cybersecurity practices as they relate to state IT networks, health care, education, public safety, energy, transportation, critical infrastructure, economic development, and the workforce. And in Virginia, the Governor has also made significant efforts to diversify the commonwealth’s economy and protect citizen data.  Cybersecurity is one of Governor McAuliffe’s top priorities and a key component of the New Virginia Economy. This includes the development of a sustainable talent pipeline capable of providing skilled, industry-ready workers to meet this increasing demand.
Learn more about the NASCIO Technology Champion award and prior recipients at www.nascio.org/awards/ntc.

State Chief Information Officer David Cagigal, State of Wisconsin, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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State Chief Information Officer (CIO) David Cagigal is making a difference for Wisconsin by leading enterprise collaboration to align the state’s technology investment strategies with the top policy priorities of the Governor and Legislature.

Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Cagigal and the Department of Enterprise Technology (DET) in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Wisconsin’s profile will specifically highlight the many ways in which Adaptive Leadership and collaboration are moving the state forward to achieve common goals and optimize the citizen experience with state government.

“In Wisconsin, we now view enterprise collaboration as our everyday way of doing business,” said Cagigal, “It has guided our data center consolidation efforts, our recent enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, our cybersecurity strategies, and our e-government program, just to cite a few examples. I firmly believe in the potential of enterprise collaboration to keep us moving forward.”

Learn more about Wisconsin’s on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 

NASCIO Issues Advancing Digital Government: Better Decision-Making through Data Sharing Agreements

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released the first in a series of briefs focused on data sharing agreements. These agreements are essential to ensuring consistent expectations and no surprises when information is shared across government lines of business. This report focuses on how states can enable data sharing and guarantee success.   

“Data sharing agreements must be put in place to establish the terms of agreement, particularly when sharing sensitive data,” said Stu Davis, Chief Information Officer, State of Ohio, and co-chair of the NASCIO Data Management Working Group.  “Terms should be clearly specified and must align with an established set of principles that guide information sharing.  The intent is rather simple; let’s make sure decision makers have the information they need to reach the outcomes for our citizens that we’re trying to achieve.”

Dewand Neely, Chief Information Officer, State of Indiana, and co-chair of the NASCIO Data Management Working Group said, “We have hundreds of data sharing agreements that must be managed proactively. We need to provide for periodic review to determine if an agreement should be terminated, or revised based on business needs.

Read the brief at www.nascio.org/publications.