5G: Powering the Government’s Digital Transformation

Posted on by Mark DeMerse

5G technology has the capacity to speed data transfers and connect billions of devices at a time when mission success hinges on fast, secure access to data and people. 5G’s potential to enhance all government activities makes it an indispensable component of efforts to modernize IT systems and service delivery. Because of its low latency and capacity to carry vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently, 5G enables real-time access to information. As a result, it is facilitating the growth of smart cities, the use of artificial intelligence to improve government operations and the adoption of edge computing. The implications are profound for activities as varied as battlefield communications, military logistics and preparedness, and emergency response in situations where critical infrastructure is unavailable. Learn how government agencies can leverage all the resources in play to achieve the goal of open, interoperable and secure 5G networks Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government® report.

The Unifying Nature of 5G Technology

“5G technology is the first telecommunications standard that is cloud-native, making it critical for the government’s digital transformation. We now have a transport medium that aligns with and supports the flexibility, scalability and efficiency of cloud operating models and containerized functions and services. In addition, all aspects of a digital transformation strategy — including edge computing, artificial intelligence, cloud migration and application rationalization — center on data. With everything level-set architecturally to be cloud-native and containerized, 5G networks enable a common approach to managing data, and they also bring in a new capability for data sovereignty.”

Read more insights from Chris D. Thomas, technical strategist at Dell Technologies.

Why 5G Is Indispensable for Frontline Agencies

“Private 5G networks have distinct benefits for government, which is why DOD has stated that it is a strategic direction for the department. At Federated Wireless, we custom-build networks for high performance, scale and unlimited capacity using best-of-breed technology from a large ecosystem of suppliers. Private wireless networks provide strong security and control over where the data resides. Unlike a traditional cellular carrier that sends data through an off-site central core, private 5G networks are secure enclaves that are governed by zero trust architectures.”

Read more insights from Paul Battaglia, vice president of public sector at Federated Wireless.

The Key to Creating More Flexible 5G Networks

“JMA Wireless embarked on a project a couple of years ago to help bring 5G to the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, GA. We were part of a team that deployed a 5G network and added applications to enable officials to modernize warehousing and logistics at the base. As a result of those improvements, the base has reduced labor costs by 61%. Additionally, it used to take three to five days for items to move from the dock to the shelf. That timeline has been slashed to about 36 minutes as the combination of the 5G network and updated application environment drives major efficiencies in logistics operations.”

Read more insights from Rishi Bhaskar, senior vice president and general manager at JMA Wireless.

Sharing Critical Information in Real Time

“The deployment of 5G for government agencies requires a security approach that is independent from the underlying transport network. For our public safety and defense customers, we offer a security architecture based on Blackned’s TacticalCORE, which provides an over-the-top multidomain security layer, enabling authentication in contested environments and separate classified information spaces across the same infrastructure. All transport is considered untrusted with the ability to implement agency-specific encryption on the 5G network. This state-of-the-art security approach has already been accredited by the German BSI as NATO-restricted and enhanced security classifications are planned.”

Read more insights from Richie Obermayer, VP of technical sales at GuardSTACK Technologies.

How Agencies Can Reap the Benefits of 5G

“5G’s reliability and availability make it possible to build dedicated wireless networks that can be sliced so mission-critical applications run in separate areas while the government maintains full control over that network. Last but certainly not least, 5G networks have carrier-grade, built-in security standards, including SIM cards that are provisioned and activated for a specific network. Users cannot connect to the network without inserting a highly secure SIM into their devices.”

Read more insights from Derrick Frost, senior vice president of operations and general manager of private wireless at Kajeet.

Private Networks and the Evolving 5G Ecosystem

“Private networks are well-suited to agency use cases for a number of reasons. First and foremost is security, which is the bedrock of every cellular network. Beyond the built-in security private 5G networks bring, they also have the capacity to add extra layers of security. The other components of a robust network include radio frequency technology and the latest 5G devices and radios. Once that foundation is in place, agencies can explore the wide range of use cases that a private 5G network can address. Deployments include standalone networks for first responders, border patrol agents and tactical response units, as well as secure, reliable networks for telemedicine providers.”

Read more insights from Derek Gallagher, CTO at Druid Software.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from 5G thought leaders and additional industry research from FCW.

Innovation in Government: The Future of Technology with Dell

Posted on by Erica Raymond

Advances in communications, data analytics and cloud ecosystems are supercharging efforts to modernize government. Leaders recognize that partnerships with industry are essential to their success with emerging technologies, including groundbreaking tools and techniques that help agencies tackle a wide array of challenges. The government is facing monumental challenges, such as the economy, climate change, public health and military preparedness. These large-scale, broad impact problems require new and innovative ideas to solve. Organizations such as the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released guidance and strategies for agencies hoping to move past existing restrictions by updated legacy systems. Carahsoft’s most recent Innovation in Government Report includes insights from industry experts at Dell Technologies on how emergent technologies can help government push past those boundaries, with deep dives on 5G, artificial intelligence, digital twins, edge computing and cloud ecosystems.

A Secure Way to Use AI-Assisted Data Analytics

“Federated learning is becoming increasingly relevant given the emergence of ChatGPT and other AI-based technologies. Industry and government leaders recognize that it is essential to develop AI in an ethical, unbiased way that ensures information privacy and security. The only way to do that is to take a critical look at the technologies that are evolving and shape them in an intentional way. Right now, AI is not as secure as it could be. It is susceptible to the same vulnerabilities that affect other technologies. Therefore, agencies and their industry partners should focus on protecting data where it resides, instituting a zero trust architecture and securing AI algorithms.”

Read more insights from Ed Hicks, business development manager for federal and AI at Dell Technologies.

What the Evolution of 5G Means for Government

“5G is the first generation of cellular technology that’s cloud native, which means it has the flexibility to be fully virtualized and deployed in several different architectural designs, hosted on commercial servers. Agencies now have the ability to dynamically scale up or down depending on the network load at the moment. In addition, many large hyper-scaler cloud vendors are exploring ways to provide 5G as a service and combine the virtualized network function with cloud-hosted workloads, integrating the telco workload into the traditional IT stack.”

Read more insights from Greg Burrill, 5G/Networking Alliance Manager at Dell Technologies.

Taking Modernization to the Next Level with Digital Twins

“Digital engineering is digital transformation applied to the realm of systems engineering. It is another path to IT modernization. Digital twins require the foundations of a digitally transformed environment and its elements of data management, agile development, DevSecOps and container-based orchestration. Digital twins focus on bringing data from the physical world into the digital arena, gleaning insights through artificial intelligence and then displaying those insights visually for users. Digital twins can deploy those conclusions in the physical world, measure the results of the changes and start the loop over again by feeding that data back into the digital arena.”

Read more insights from Ken Rollins, Technology Architect for Digital Engineering/Edge at Dell Technologies.

How Repatriation Fits into a Broader Cloud Strategy

“When agencies simply lifted and shifted workloads into the cloud, they often experienced inefficiencies and cost overruns. Now that agencies are gaining a better understanding of cloud models and how to adapt their workloads to run efficiently in the cloud, they have begun to more carefully consider when it makes the most sense to put a workload into a public cloud and when it is better to pull it back to run on premises, known as cloud repatriation. Those decisions should be part of a larger strategy for appropriate workload placement.”

Read more insights from Manny Yusuf, Chief Cloud/Edge Architect at Dell Technologies.

Future-Ready Data Centers for Government Agencies

“A software-defined data center (SDDC) virtualizes all the infrastructure elements that government agencies are using and delivers them in an as-a-service model. Specifically, compute, networking, storage, security and services are abstracted and delivered as automated, policy-driven software. That virtualized, programmatic approach enables SDDCs to break down IT silos and simplify complexities. The benefits include gains in performance and availability and reductions in costs and security risks. An SDDC enables applications to be deployed more quickly and IT resources used more effectively through the use of cloud-based services.”

Read more insights from Manny Yusuf, Chief Cloud/Edge Architect at Dell Technologies.

A Flexible Cost Model for Cloud and Infrastructure

“Maintaining visibility into IT operations is crucial for understanding and mitigating security risks as well as for better managing costs. Agencies might need to achieve a specific return on investment, meet certain efficiencies or comply with unique mission requirements. Regardless of the goal, a simplified cost model provides a comprehensive understanding of what it costs the agency to run workloads on premises, at the edge or in any cloud location. Dell APEX also allows agencies to maintain oversight of their IT environment and expenses when they are running a software factory and pushing out new capabilities on a continuous basis. Anytime something new is put in the cloud, it’s important to have visibility into its long-term costs so that agencies can avoid inefficiencies.”

Read more insights from Manny Yusuf, Chief Cloud/Edge Architect at Dell Technologies.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from emerging technology thought leaders and additional industry research from FCW.

Maximizing the Benefits of MultiCloud

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

The government’s approach to cloud technology has changed dramatically in the years between the 2010 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy, known as Cloud First, and the 2019 Cloud Smart Strategy. The first policy pushed agencies to consider cloud technologies before others, while the second offers actionable advice on how to deploy the technology. Today, 81% of federal agencies use more than one cloud platform, according to a MeriTalk survey. Because of its inherent flexibility and scalability, cloud technology played a key role in agencies’ response to the pandemic and their ability to shift employees to remote work. Now government leaders recognize that multicloud environments are crucial for ensuring resiliency during a crisis. The Cloud Smart Strategy explicitly references hybrid and multicloud environments as essential tools for improving mission outcomes and service delivery. Despite the benefits of multicloud environments, they can present management challenges for many agencies, such as difficulty migrating mission-critical legacy apps to the cloud or ensuring the interoperability of products and services from multiple vendors. In a recent survey of FCW readers, security was the biggest challenge to managing a cloud ecosystem, cited by 74% of respondents. The Cloud Smart Strategy makes it clear that cloud technology has become indispensable to government agencies but adopting hybrid and multicloud requires thoughtfulness and planning; read the latest insights from industry thought leaders in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government^® report on multicloud.

Empowering the Government’s Earliest Adopters

“Multicloud environments offer agencies the opportunity to go beyond simply managing data to analyzing it for valuable insights and better decision-making. Cloud technology was created to deal with the exponential increase in data collection and the increasing demands for storage. In other words, cloud was developed to handle big-data challenges. Furthermore, cloud technology offers tremendous opportunities for agencies to off-load some monotonous day-to-day IT management tasks in favor of higher-level activities. If there are only a handful of people in an agency’s IT organization, they could spend all their time creating new storage clusters and provisioning that storage as data collection increases. If an agency can leverage the automation that comes with cloud to store and replicate data and then make sure that data is backed up and protected, the agency can enable those individuals to focus on true data analysis, data science and data discovery.”

Read more insights from Google’s Cloud Engineering Manager, Sean Maday.

Rethinking Legacy App Migration and Software Factories

“Many government agencies have started to build software factories to reduce security risks and greatly improve the innovation cycle. If not implemented well, however, they can increase security risks, especially when each program or project builds its own software factory. Instead of creating more software factories, agencies should move toward centralizing software build environments and rationalizing duplicative processes that can be used for both legacy and modern application development teams regardless of their development methodology. They should strive to standardize all tooling for agile/DevSecOps, create enterprise services that support development teams, and establish policies that monitor for insider threat and eliminate risks during software development.”

Read more insights from MFGS’s Public Sector CTO, David Wray, and CTO for Alliances and Partners, Kevin Hansen.

Developing a Long-Term Vision for MultiCloud

“A multicloud approach can be a double-edged sword, with benefits and risks. When agencies have access to a cloud environment, it’s easy for them to spin up new compute resources or storage solutions. But this flexibility opens up risks in terms of performance and security. Even when an agency is working with public cloud service providers, it’s the agency’s responsibility to make sure its resources are configured properly. Many data leakage incidents in the cloud are the result of a configuration issue. Furthermore, in a multicloud environment, technologies are created independently of one another and won’t always work well together. Agencies must make sure they have the appropriate visibility across multicloud environments and on-premises systems so they can understand and manage all aspects of their IT systems. This includes controlling costs and decommissioning purpose-built cloud resources when they are no longer needed.”

Read more insights from SolarWinds’s Group Vice President for Product, Brandon Shopp.

Taking a Fresh Look at Cloud’s Potential

“Agencies need to understand the business goals for a particular cloud-based application or workload and then make decisions about the best architectural approach. They also need a comprehensive security model that’s architecturally coherent from a deployment and operations perspective. The model should take into consideration the entire life cycle of applications as agencies modernize into the cloud. By combining the security and compliance aspects of modernization with a coherent IT architecture, agencies can drive down costs for managing those applications in the cloud. The cost savings can allow agencies to fund further modernization efforts or conduct research and development activities around core workloads or advanced capabilities such as artificial intelligence.”

Read more insights from Microsoft Federal’s CTO, Jason Payne.

How Cloud Storage Enables Innovation

“In the early days, cloud storage was designed to be “cheap and deep” — a place to inexpensively store data without worrying about capacity. At the time, cloud could not compete with on-premises storage in terms of access speeds. Thanks to technological advances in the past several years, however, data is as quickly accessible and available in the cloud as it is via on-premises systems. As a result, the number of applications that are eligible for cloud storage has increased dramatically, and cloud has become a primary storage option for enterprises. Beyond backing up data, agencies can use live applications in the cloud for video surveillance or active archiving, for example.”

Read more insights from Wasabi Technologies’ Senior Director of Product Marketing, David Boland.

Raising MultiCloud Management to the Next Level

“Many agencies are using cloud the way they used non-cloud data centers 15 or 20 years ago. But instead of customizing their cloud environments, they should use tools like Terraform, Juju or Pulumi to create, deploy and manage infrastructure as code on any cloud and then enable automation and orchestration in their cloud platforms. In addition to using predetermined, software-defined configurations for cloud deployments, agencies should develop a more strategic approach to funding their multicloud environments. Agencies should also take a fresh look at their cloud funding models. Beyond the total cost of ownership, they need to reevaluate how they pay for cloud products and services. They can choose to treat that spending as a capital expenditure (CapEx), which typically has a higher cost of ownership, or as an operational expense (OpEx).”

Read more insights from Dell Technologies’ Cloud Technologist, Patrick Thomas.

The Elements of a Strong Cloud Portfolio

“Custom code is arguably the root cause of most IT challenges in government. For example, the Alliance for Digital Innovation, of which Salesforce is a member, released a study that found the federal government could have saved $345 billion over 25 years if it had embraced commercial technology rather than building systems from scratch. In order to improve customer service and reduce their dependency on custom solutions, agencies should implement a multicloud strategy that is not solely based on rehosting and refactoring applications on infrastructure solutions. Agencies need to make sure they adopt a mix of software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). And they should consider low-code options within the SaaS and PaaS categories to limit their reliance on custom solutions.”

Read more insights from Salesforce’s Regional Vice President, Public-Sector Digital Strategy, Christopher Radich.

A Framework for Gleaning MultiCloud Insights

“By constantly monitoring compliance, agencies ensure that the cloud environment is safe and productive. In other words, their data is protected and their employees have the ability to use that data to perform their jobs and achieve mission goals. In addition, monitoring compliance and resource optimization is the key to ensuring uptime and appropriate capacity, as well as answering questions about costs. Agencies need to understand how they’re running and operating cloud applications and then make sure they’re applying the right framework for managing security policies. Furthermore, flexibility and efficiency are central benefits of a multicloud environment. Moving on-premises software into such an environment typically requires a complete re-architecting of those applications.”

Read more insights from SAP National Security Services’s CSO, Brian Paget.

Optimizing Cloud Investments with a Digital Twin

“In most agencies, it’s impossible for any person to get an understanding of all traffic flows and behavior. Agencies need access to normalized data presented in easy-to-consume visuals to ensure compliance, reduce outages and prevent incidents. Similarly, multicloud environments incorporate a wide variety of services and products, and it is essential to have a unified view that links what’s in the cloud (or clouds) and what’s on premises. A digital twin can supply that single source of truth and ensure that applications are readable across clouds and on-premises systems and that the network’s security posture is not being invalidated. And just as robust GPS apps will find the most efficient path, a digital twin knows all the possibilities and can answer agencies’ questions about the most efficient, secure and cost-effective way to route cloud activities.”

Read more insights from Forward Networks’s Technical Solutions Architect, Scot Wilson.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these government multicloud thought leaders and additional industry research from FCW.

The Path to Future-Ready Government IT

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that agencies need future-ready technology systems and strategies that enable them to tackle current challenges while incorporating the ability to innovate quickly during future crises. Such strategies rely on certain core components: multi-cloud management, modern app development, 5G, artificial intelligence and new approaches to security. They lead to app development teams that have an unwavering focus on delivering mission value; fine-grained control across public, private and hybrid clouds; better protection of critical assets; and a productive, engaged workforce. Future-ready strategies are fast, scalable and cost-effective – the question is how to build them. By 2023 over 1 billion users are expected to be utilizing 5G, and 36 percent of government CIOs plan to invest more on AI in 2021 than they did in 2020. The Presidential Administration’s May 12 Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity calls on agency leaders to develop plans to implement zero trust architecture. Many agencies are developing apps for the first time, or reassessing their app development approach. There’s no one way to be future-ready, but there are many considerations; read the latest insights from industry thought leaders in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government^® report on future-ready tech.

Why 5G is More Than a Telecom Revolution

“Agencies need to generate, analyze and manage massive amounts of data to achieve success on a diverse set of mission goals. The increase in bandwidth that comes with 5G widens the data pipe between devices and platforms to give agencies a faster way to move data and therefore harvest even more valuable insights for decision-making. 5G is not just about increasing bandwidth. It is also about creating new applications and enabling new services that can help agencies maximize the value of digital transformation. That’s because 5G is an enabler and catalyst for other crucial and transformative technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, industrial automation, real-time sensor-based telemetry, drone control, artificial intelligence and automation.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Senior Director, Phil Kippen, and Dell Technologies’ Lead Systems Architect, Chris Thomas.

Beyond Tools: A More Holistic Approach to Security

“To understand the challenge of a given threat or adversary, agencies need to understand the context in which they will be interacting with it. The security team must partner with the infrastructure, applications, networking, end-user and storage teams to gain those insights. Together, those experts can focus on the interactions between systems and define a view of “normal” activity. Then the agency’s IT ecosystem can react to any deviation from that standard. Fortunately, agencies don’t need to start from scratch. Many are adopting an end-to-end security model that leverages security capabilities intrinsic to the systems and solutions that are already in place to create a vision for secure agency operations. This approach allows them to connect context across environments to build a layer of control and intelligence to respond to and remediate threats. Zero trust is a key component of end-to-end security. Zero trust requires organizations to embrace the notion that their systems are already in a state of compromise.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Director of Government, Education and Healthcare Solutions Architecture, Henry Fleischmann.

How to Streamline Modern App Development

“In the commercial world, investment in modern apps is a business imperative, and the companies that focus on it attract the technology world’s best talent. In the government, modern app development is a mission imperative that encourages the use of common tools, saves time and money, enhances cybersecurity, and improves the citizen experience. Users of government software — whether they are citizens or agency employees — can become demoralized by the outmoded and onerous legacy systems that perform business or mission functions, especially when software makes every other facet of our lives easier. During my military career, I saw air operations conducted with pen and paper because manual processes were faster than using legacy software, and I know of many young military members whose decision to leave the service was heavily influenced by the lack of software capabilities on the job.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Federal Strategist, Jeremiah Sanders.

The Importance of a MultiCloud Strategy

“To control costs, improve operational efficiency and make the most of the technology, agencies should take a more holistic approach to managing clouds. Thinking holistically prompts agencies to proactively consider and plan for multiple clouds while reducing the risk and cost of managing, securing and governing them — rather than only developing skills and processes for a single cloud provider. Management tools and practices formed from a multi-cloud perspective allow agencies to focus on the entire life cycle of cloud operations. As a result, they can efficiently and effectively set up, deploy, manage and optimally run infrastructure resources and application services anywhere.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Vice President of Architecture and Engineering, Government, Education and Healthcare Sector, Ranil Dassanayaka.

Bringing AI-Powered Tech to Government

“Artificial intelligence is one of the largest technology transformations we’ve ever seen. As it becomes more widespread, AI will have an impact equivalent to that of the internet. The technology can help with the digital transformation of every facet of government. With the assistance of AI, agencies can rethink and enhance the customer experience by using a number of tools, such as natural language processing and predictive recommendations. In terms of cybersecurity, AI can quickly sift through massive amounts of data, allowing intelligence agencies to react to threats and attacks in real time. It can also improve medical care and public health, and help the government better predict the weather, understand long-range climate trends, and detect and quickly respond to natural disasters.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Director of Product Marketing, Sheldon D’Paiva, and NVIDIA’s Director of Product Marketing, Erik Pounds.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these government tech modernization thought leaders and additional industry research from FCW.

Best of What’s New in Legacy Modernization

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

The pandemic changed the risk equation for state and local governments around technology upgrades. In the past, state and local government CIOs had created orderly multi-year plans to push toward modern technologies, carefully weighing numerous factors and often facing pushback from public officials who didn’t want to fund updates if the old systems were still chugging along. In 2021 – after a vast shift to remote work, the increase in user-friendly digital services, and the innumerable changes to individual agencies brought on by the coronavirus – the modernization of legacy technology is seen through a new lens. Read the latest insights from industry thought leaders in legacy modernization in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government® report.

Moving Modernization Forward in Spite of Disruption

“State and local CIOs are dealing with challenges that none of us ever thought they would have to face. The two most important things they can do are to drive automation and focus on hybrid cloud solutions. We all know the cloud is here to stay. We also know that legacy systems will take too long to migrate completely to the cloud. Embracing a hybrid cloud approach around modern solutions, where you can be partly on-prem as well as in the cloud, is going to help drive modernization and help systems become more effective more quickly. The second piece is automation. Automation has come a long way. It allows organizations to re-factor their workforce into their mission while automating simpler tasks. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are part of this and will become increasingly important as state and local leaders look to improve responsiveness and citizen engagement — both now and in the future.”

Read more insights Red Hat’s Vice President of State and Local Government and Education, Nancy Bohannan.

It All Starts with Collaboration

“A DevSecOps approach takes DevOps culture and methodologies and incorporates security from the very beginning. This brings enormous value to legacy modernization efforts. Many legacy systems were built using waterfall methodologies. That means they may not be regularly scanned for vulnerabilities or they were simply not built to handle modern scale. DevSecOps helps you avoid these issues. First, you will be more agile, as we’ve seen with DevOps. Second, you will build systems that are inherently more secure. Instead of thinking about security after a system is built and in production, you are doing so from day zero and doing so continuously even after you’ve “shipped” it. This is especially critical in cloud environments where shared resources and multi-tenancy are the norm rather than the exception.”

Read more insights from Atlassian’s State and Local Manager, Shayla Sander, and Solutions Engineer, Ken Urban.

Finding Opportunities for Modernization

“The pandemic pushed most organizations into firefighting mode. They don’t have the luxury of doing wholesale rewrites of legacy software, which often take years. At the same time, organizations need to make these systems more efficient in order to serve constituents and improve operations — especially during the pandemic. Instead of replacing systems, organizations are augmenting them by putting new technologies on the front end. These efforts solve some of the immediate problems; however, many legacy challenges remain because organizations just haven’t had time or resources to do the rewrites.”

Read more insights from Dell Technologies’ Chief Strategist and Innovation Officer, Tony Powell.

Contact Center Modernization: Raising the Bar on Customer Service

“Modernizing how you serve citizens should be a continuous process. Methods of communication change. Technology improves. A pandemic exposes weakness in an entire process. And all of these things must be addressed in the context of resource constraints. Organizations should look across their constituency and current platform and ask questions such as: Are we communicating effectively? Do we have the necessary tools to properly manage resources? Do we have a business continuity plan? Is owning and managing technology the best use of our resources? Regardless of the question, the key is to be proactive in your evaluations.”

Read more insights from Genesys’s Director of Solution Consulting for the North American Public Sector, Chad Cole.

4 Tips for Advancing IT Procurement

“Identifying and analyzing potential risks upfront can give jurisdictions more options to address urgent IT needs when a crisis hits, Paneque says. ‘Through a risk assessment you can delineate potential scenarios you might face in the future and where you can substantiate an emergency procurement to stabilize them,’ says Paneque. ‘Later, you can roll that approach into less urgent kinds of requirements that can either be sourced through existing contracts or with typical methods of procurement like an RFP.’”

Read more insights from former New York State Chief Procurement Officer, Sergio Paneque.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these legacy modernization thought leaders and additional industry research from GovTech.

Best of What’s New In Data, Identity and Privacy

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

Last year, state lawmakers across the nation introduced hundreds of privacy bills. One of the most prominent pieces of legislation — the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — took effect in January, marking the first of potentially many state-level attempts to emulate the European Union’s groundbreaking General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gave EU residents more control over how organizations use their personal information. All of this points to a dramatic shift in how state and local government agencies must manage and protect data. Fortunately, technology tools available to help the public sector address privacy challenges are growing smarter and more sophisticated. Learn the latest insights from industry thought leaders in Data, Identity and Privacy in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government® report.

Protecting the Data That Matters Most

“Organizations should avoid the temptation to skip requirements and get things out there quickly. This crisis forced organizations to establish work-from-home policies overnight. Work-from-home technologies — whether employee-owned or government issued — must incorporate the organization’s security processes and policies around sensitive data. Government-issued laptops should have remote access capability to keep OS and security product patches up to date, ensure VPN connections are working and generally maintain security standards. It’s also important to conduct and continually reinforce security awareness training focused specifically on working at home or remotely. Then, make the new normal as simple as possible; have everything in place for users to just basically turn on their laptop and log into the system.”

Read more insights from Dell Technologies’ Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of State and Local Government, Tony Encinias.

Simple, Smart and Fast: Search-Driven Analytics for Data Privacy and Compliance

“Clearly defined use cases are critical. What questions do agencies need to answer to fulfill their mission, and what data do they need to obtain those answers? Once you find that data, how do you store it, and how do you track compliance requirements on that data? How do you enable data sharing and transparency without interfering with privacy and security? Another critical piece is the criteria and best practices used for tool selection. Can you get to granular levels of data and customize security clearances down to the role level or column level so you can govern who’s seeing what without having to create duplicate data lakes for each department? That can create a lot of economies of scale and enable organizations to more easily and confidently share data across agencies.”

Read more insights from ThoughtSpot’s Senior Director of Global Public Sector and Industry Alliances, Helen Xing.

Using a Data-Centric Approach to Reduce Risk and Manage Disruption

“AI and ML have a lot of potential to streamline privacy and compliance, but they also come with certain risks. For example, AI/ML require systems to be trained. If systems are trained inadequately or with inaccurate data, the result may be poor decisions that ultimately cause more damage than good. This is why, as discussions about the use of AI and ML continue, we expect to see more emphasis on accountable development and usage. In practice, this means having requirements around transparency of AI usage, decisions and data quality, as well as robustness in terms of AI security and resilience.”

Read more insights from Broadcom’s Global CTO and Chief Architect for Symantec Enterprise Division, Paul Agbabian.

Leading Through Change

“People have been self-servicing analytical needs for years because they need to answer their own questions rapidly. But are people asking the right questions and are they doing all that in the most efficient digital forms? Proficiency is one of the core capabilities defined in the Tableau Blueprint, which is a prescriptive, proven methodology for becoming a more data driven organization. Proficiency speaks to the need to educate people to see and understand data for decision-making. That includes educating them on how to work with data, measuring the value that they derive from their use of data, and institutionalizing best practices that drive behavior change and informed decision-making.”

Read more insights from Tableau’s Senior Manager of Customer Success, Jeremy Blaney.

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these Government Data, Identity and Privacy thought leaders and additional industry research from GovTech.