This week in federal technology news, read how CIO’s and CISO’s are confronting major hurdles across the country. Also this week, the EDIT Act is introduced, and big data is making big headlines. Read our latest federal news roundup for more:
Rising to the Challenge: How 3 Public CIOs Are Confronting Major Mandates
You can bet Illinois CIO Hardik Bhatt isn’t bored — In January Gov. Bruce Rauner signed an executive order that will consolidate the state of Illinois’ IT offices into a new Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT).
In Wyoming, CIO Flint Waters got in just under the gun. Faced with Gov. Matt Mead’s proposal to roll out broadband for all schools and government offices, he got the $15.8 million job completed in six months, just before the falling price of oil took a bite out of the state budget. Buying, rather than building, helped the project to scoot in under the wire.
And finally, in Seattle, IT planners are on a mission to consolidate most of the city’s technology operations. The new Information Technology Department launched in April and should be fully operational by the end of 2018. “We want data-driven, efficient government. We want to be focused on serving the people, without being tied to these silo structures,” said Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller.
Read how the CIO’s across the country are facing different challenges in the full story here.
How Do States Fill Cybersecurity Positions?
Many challenges unite state cybersecurity leaders, starting with recruiting and maintaining the talent needed to protect IT assets from known and emerging threats. At the NASCIO Midyear Conference last month, we talked to chief information security officers (CISOs), who outlined their key workforce challenges and their strategies for taking them on. Read the full story here.
The future of Big Data is Open Source
Platforms used for big data are a bit of a conundrum. Big data and data science are two of the biggest business buzzwords, and the biggest companies around the world are hard at work to get ahead of the data curve. Normally, when it comes to big money opportunities, the resources behind them would be expected to carry a heavy price tag. Big data, however, has its roots and future in open source technologies. Companies big and small are sharing what they know, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Read the full story here.
For Big Data and Analytics, Agencies Need Multidisciplinary Staff
Even though federal agencies are collecting more data and hiring chief data officers to help make sense of it all, if they don’t have IT employees or teams that can function across multiple disciplines, they won’t be able to fully take advantage of Big Data and analytics. That was one of the key takeaways from a panel discussion at the 2016 GITEC Summit in Baltimore. You can read more about the discussion here.
You’ve heard of the DATA Act. Now, get ready for the EDIT Act.
A lawmaker wants to use a Microsoft Word-like feature that makes text edits visible in an effort to inject more transparency into the legislative process. The Establishing Digital Interactive Transparency Act, introduced June 15 by rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., would require congressional bills posted online to include a “track changes-style system” showing all the tweaks made to legislation as it makes its way through Congress. Read the full story here.
