For some, the transition to a public sector leadership focus is a long journey, but for Billy Biggs, Area Vice President – US Public Sector Sales with BlackBerry, it was the natural next step. Biggs has years of experience with systems integrators, expertise in military enablement, and a vast array of technical knowledge which he was able to share with us in a recent Government Technology Insider interview. Read on to hear what Biggs shared about leading a public sector team, trends emerging in the government, and advice he offered to agencies as we continue in 2021.
Biggs shared that in his new role, he’s focused on customer success. “My experience gives me the opportunity to understand the client ecosystem, support client needs, and leverage past experience every single day to bring the public sector the technical solutions and services they need,” he shared. “It’s vital that public sector-facing leaders prioritize the right areas and that any technology implementation directly translates to the success of the Agency’s mission.”
By focusing on pressing matters, like remote work for agencies, Biggs believes organizations can deliver a better value proposition. “The public sector, due to COVID, now realizes the reality of working from home; that public sector employees can work anytime or anywhere, but there is still a big concern surrounding security,” he said. “While remote work ensures a boost in productivity, every device needs to be secured, and that’s where the partnership of a private organization specialized in public sector interests comes in.”
It’s clear that security is a top priority for public sector leaders with the recently passed American Rescue Plan allocates over $2 billion to cybersecurity and IT funds. With these new resources, Biggs projects an increase in tech spending that marries productivity and security, a needed investment according to the 2021 BlackBerry Threat Report. According to the report, there are an array of new security issues plaguing the government. For example, Crimeware as a Service (CaaS) involving Ransomware (i.e. – Emotet/APT28) and Advanced Persistent Threat actors have an opportunity to scale and target organizations of any size.
However, with the right solutions, public sector organizations can be prepared to take on threats in any environment. “Cybersecurity will continue to be the #1 IT transformation in both the public and private sector over the next 10 years. And with an estimated skills gaps in cybersecurity of 4 million people, the importance of the right AI-powered cyber solution has never been more important.”
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