Government State
Transforming State Government IT: Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Solutions
Over the past several years, state governments have been working to modernize outdated technology practices and infrastructure. Even before the pandemic, many states were in the modernization process, with government agencies relying on legacy technology and obsolete systems. Dependence on these systems increases states' vulnerability to attacks and service interruptions. As the demand for digital services and automation grows, state governments prioritize cloud modernization. Additionally, cybersecurity remains a top priority, as state governments house sensitive information and are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Navigating these challenges requires specialized training. Chauster UpSkilling offers comprehensive courses that equip IT professionals with the skills to manage contemporary IT landscapes within state governments successfully.
Advancing with Cloud Technology
Navigating the modernization process can be challenging for network engineers working within state government agencies. Regulations that prevent agencies from placing certain types of information on the public cloud must be considered to ensure all data remains secure. Additionally, dependence on legacy devices can make cloud integration difficult. State government entities have a large number of legacy systems that need to be transitioned to the cloud.
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A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report identified ten critical federal IT legacy systems that supported agencies needing modernization. The legacy systems ranged from about 8 to 51 years old and, collectively, cost $337 million per year to operate and maintain. The GAO study highlighted the challenges to cloud modernization and the security vulnerabilities that arise from legacy systems. These systems often run on unsupported hardware and software. For example, the Department of Defense reported over 4,000 legacy systems the vendor no longer supported. As these systems age, they become more susceptible to cyber-attacks.
The Drive Behind State Government Modernization
Cloud modernization has become a top priority for state governments in recent years. By migrating to the cloud, network professionals can deploy hundreds of IT services with a unified architecture, security model, and management approach. This not only streamlines operations but also allows state governments to expand their digital services, enhancing the experience for residents when interacting with government agencies.
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Cloud technology offers numerous benefits, including remote access to employee applications and new digital resources for citizens. Additionally, cloud technology can help state government entities save money by reducing the need for on-premises hardware and software.
Building Skills for Cloud Modernization
Network engineers within state governments should be prepared for the challenges of integrating cloud technology with their current infrastructure. As cloud technology becomes more prevalent in state governments, IT professionals must have the necessary knowledge to manage and maintain cloud-based services. Specialized courses are available to help network engineers in state government agencies deploy and manage cloud technology effectively. These courses are designed to equip IT professionals with the skills needed to implement cloud modernization and manage infrastructure securely and cost-effectively, including:
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Azure Active Directory
State governments are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals seeking easy targets. As gatekeepers of voter records, tax information, and social security numbers, they hold a wealth of sensitive data that can be easily exploited. For network engineers, this means ensuring networks are secure and all devices are correctly patched and up-to-date.
This task is challenging, as state government networks are complex and constantly evolving. Additionally, state government agencies often need more resources to devote to cybersecurity. Therefore, IT professionals working within state government departments must proactively identify and safeguard against potential security risks.
Cybersecurity
Currently, there are 465,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs across the nation, leading to a shortage of cybersecurity-trained IT professionals. This shortage has increased the vulnerability of state governments to cyber threats.
Challenges in Securing State Government IT
Government agencies are inevitably vulnerable to attacks due to the high volume of confidential information they store and the number of third parties they regularly deal with. Additionally, regulations requiring state governments to be transparent make them more susceptible to cyber-attacks than other industries. Network engineers within government agencies play a critical role in cybersecurity. As hackers become increasingly skilled at exploiting network vulnerabilities, agencies need systems to detect and respond to threats.
Currently, there are 465,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs across the nation. The shortage of cybersecurity-trained IT professionals has made state governments more vulnerable. This is evident in the higher number of cyber attacks occurring within state government departments than in other industries. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services encountered thousands of cybersecurity incidents, making it the most targeted state government department. Many of these attacks occurred through their supply chains and third-party vendors.
The shortage of cybersecurity experts makes it imperative to prioritize training for network professionals to develop the skills needed to protect their agencies from attacks.
Network engineers in state government departments should be prepared to assist in developing training programs that provide employees with information to protect against cyber attacks. Additionally, they must be equipped to navigate the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats as these threats become increasingly sophisticated. Successfully achieving this requires comprehensive training. The following courses offer IT professionals the preparation needed to tackle cybersecurity challenges within state government agencies:
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Physical Security and Network Attacks - Cyber Security Training
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Preparing for Cybersecurity Threats
DevOps: Driving Agility and Responsiveness
Not too long ago, developing software in the federal government involved an old-fashioned "waterfall" method that included many intermediary steps, hindering the agencies' ability to move quickly. This model was slow, high-risk, and inflexible. Another area for improvement with the waterfall method was that it was difficult for multiple code writers to work on a project simultaneously. Consequently, state government agencies have increasingly turned to DevOps to improve agility and responsiveness.
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By automating application build, testing, and deployment, agencies can meet citizens' high expectations for fast, reliable service. At its core, DevOps is about collaboration between software engineers and network engineers to enhance communication and collaboration between development and operations. This allows for a more seamless process, resulting in faster deployments and fewer errors. This is crucial for state government agencies as it helps them expedite the delivery of new features and products for their constituents.
Building Skills for DevOps Pipelines
Network professionals working in state government agencies must quickly deploy new features and products to constituents while also improving communication and collaboration between development and operations. Government entities are adopting a DevOps culture within their digital landscape to achieve this. Comprehensive training is essential for this transition.
Foundational and intermediate courses are available to prepare learners to identify, use, and deploy DevOps principles, methodologies, and approaches. These courses include:
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Juniper Automation and DevOps
State government agencies house and protect some of the most confidential data in the world. Agencies are modernizing their IT infrastructure and implementing DevOps pipelines to keep up with ever-changing cyber threats. This modernization ensures that critical data remains secure while continuing to provide valuable services to constituents.
To meet these challenges, network engineers working in state governments must comprehensively understand cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and DevOps pipelines. With this knowledge, they can help their agencies maintain secure systems and stay current with industry trends.
Comprehensive training is essential for these professionals. Chauster's courses on cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and DevOps equips IT professionals with the skills required to meet state governments' demands. These courses provide administrators with the knowledge to protect their departments against cyber threats, stay updated with modernization efforts, and build efficient DevOps pipelines. By investing in such training, state government agencies can ensure their IT teams are well-prepared to handle the complexities of modern IT infrastructure and security.
Concluding Recommendations
