NASTD to highlight cybersecurity at 2019 conference

Published: August 14, 2019

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY (MARYLAND)CybersecurityGeneral Government ServicesGEORGIAInformation TechnologyInformation TechnologyRIVIERA BEACH, CITY OF (PALM BEACH) (FLORIDA)

The 2019 Annual NASTD Conference will cover a range of topics, but cybersecurity will be a main area of focus for state technology leaders.

The National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD) has its annual conference scheduled for next week, and will be covering a range of issues pertinent to government technology. However, cybersecurity will be a main area of focus, and the relevance of cybersecurity will be woven into the numerous other topics to be addressed, such as cloud computing, data privacy, and technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain. Looking at the conference agenda, cybersecurity will be the main topic of several panels and sessions, with others likely to touch on it as well.

Cybersecurity has been a main priority for state technology leaders for years. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) releases a list every year of state CIO technology priorities. NASCIO’s priorities for 2019 include Security and Risk Management as the number 1 priority for state technology strategies, management and process solutions. Additionally, Security Enhancement Tools were the second priority for new technologies, applications, and tools for this year as well. NASCIO has also recently come out in support of a pending bill in the Senate that would boost collaboration between federal, state, and local governments on cybersecurity.

As has been seen lately in the numerous cyberattacks against state and local governments, such as those in City of Baltimore, Riviera Beach, Florida, and Georgia’s Judicial System, it is clear that this is a threat, and governments are incorporate strategies and initiatives to combat them. Considering this, interested vendors should continue to monitor state and local government activities in the cybersecurity field for possible opportunities in the future.

Source: StateScoop