Local government agencies have worked diligently to transform and modernize how services are delivered. But delivering unique experiences that streamline and personalize interactions with agencies isn’t always as easy as it might appear.

To better understand what makes local government modernization successful, Government Technology Insider sat down with Josh Fruecht, Senior Sales Leader at Granicus, who has over 17 years of experience working in, and for, public sector organizations. In the interview, Fruecht explains how agencies can integrate technology solutions in a strategic way using human-centered design to realize their vision to provide these unique experiences seamlessly to their key stakeholders.

Increasingly, nation-state sponsored cyberattacks are leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their chances of successfully compromising an organization. But federal government agencies can also put the power of AI to work to bolster their cyber defenses. The advantage that AI brings to cybersecurity and defense is that it can analyze vast amounts of data, identify unusual patterns, predict potential security incidents, and enable cybersecurity teams to focus on verified threats instead of false positives.

In a recent podcast with Government Technology Insider, Jon S Kim, Vice President of Solutions and Services at Presidio Federal shared the potential applications of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity for federal agencies. Despite all the benefits it may bring, there are potential ethical issues when it comes to using AI. Federal cybersecurity leaders must consider algorithmic bias and the potential to unfairly target or discriminate against groups.

For years – if not decades – federal government agencies have been facing a quartet of cyberattacks – phishing, supply chain attacks, ransomware, and DDoS. Now, in addition to these, agencies must deal with new threats including deep fakes. Deep fakes are a type of synthetic media that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to impersonate government officials and other trusted individuals to spread disinformation. Now, however, they’re also becoming an emerging tactic that cyber-criminals are taking advantage of to launch highly effective cyberattacks.

Government Technology Insider sat down with Jon S Kim, Vice President of Solutions and Services at Presidio Federal to discuss new cybersecurity threats that federal agencies are tackling in 2024. In the conversation he highlights how critical it is for agencies to stay ahead of deep fakes and other emerging threats, as well as traditional attacks, through continuous training, investing in advanced threat intelligence, conducting regular security audits, and implementing a Zero Trust architecture.

Jeff Colburn, Enterprise Networking Solutions Architect at Presidio Federal, discusses the importance of incorporating Zero Trust architecture in cybersecurity practices, including multi-step verification processes for users.

Due to the increase of cloud services, mobile devices, and remote work among federal agencies, there are more opportunities for data to be breached. Compromised systems have led to the loss of confidential and personal data and have even caused economic damage from industrial shutdowns and shortages. In conjunction, security approaches must evolve to ensure secure networks. Zero Trust architecture revolves around the assumption of compromise. Instead of allowing verified users access to an entire network - segmenting networks into smaller, more isolated zones, barricades high level access for all users.

As security threats become more sophisticated, defenses around identity and access must be a top priority. Agencies must adopt an identity-centric approach with continuous verification of trust, shifting from traditional security approaches that assume everything inside the network is trusted.

While many partners without an engineering or coding background may shy away from implementing AI because of the perceived complexities involved, no-code tools are game-changers. These tools are revolutionizing development processes, making AI accessible to everyone, and reshaping the innovation narrative. In part two of the AI and DevNet podcast, host Lucas Hunsicker reconnects with Ruben Dedman, Technical Consulting Manager for Cisco DevNet at TD SYNNEX, to dive into the tools, trends, and considerations shaping the future of AI implementation.

AI’s impact on the world continues to expand as people embrace its numerous capabilities to drive positive business outcomes. When it comes to the dynamic world of DevNet, AI is not only influencing but reshaping the very fabric of DevNet, enhancing development processes, and opening new frontiers of innovation. Host Lucas Hunsicker sits down with Ruben Dedman, Technical Consulting Manager for Cisco DevNet at TD SYNNEX, to help partners understand the connection between AI and DevNet and how it can positively impact their own businesses.

Applications and hardware are central to the public sector’s ability to provide better citizen experiences, but without a modernized network, agencies have difficulty being truly customer centric. Legacy network infrastructure not only impacts service delivery, but also carries additional risk in the form of weaker cyber defenses. Meeting the goals laid out in the 2021 Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Service requires public sector agencies to transform not only their tools and equipment, but also the networks that support them.

In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, we spoke with Campbell Palmer, Vice President of Public Sector Solutions Architecture at Lumen, to learn more about how modernizing agency networks helps them protect data and serve citizens.

State and local government agencies are facing an incredibly challenging situation. Nation-state threat actors are using automation to create endless waves of cyberattacks in an attempt to overwhelm agencies and increase their chances of a successful attack. To combat these attacks, many state and local agencies, such as the State of North Dakota, are turning to automation to beat cybercriminals at their own game. We sat down with Thomas MacLellan, Director of Government Affairs & Strategy at Palo Alto Networks, to discuss how having an automation-first mindset can help state and local governments to empower whole of state security.

The challenge of moving from public service to civilian life is one that weighs heavily on service members. The Department of Veterans Affairs has made strides toward easing the transition to veteran status with improvements to medical care and benefits administration, but the process of building a civilian career can be overwhelming. Finding ways to ease service members’ transition as they adapt to veteran status has become a priority for both retiring service personnel and the agencies that support them.

The attention being paid to this issue appears to be paying off: there is plenty of good news for those retiring from military service, according to Matt Keller, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Chenega MIOS. We spoke to Keller about the challenges veterans face and strategies and opportunities for finding a new role and mission after a life of service.

Military veterans are an untapped source of highly competent workers at a time when the U.S. labor market is struggling to identify qualified candidates for many open positions,” Keller said. “Once an Army veteran gets to the interview process, they stand out with their ability to learn quickly, adapt to change, and be mission-focused; three skills that are invaluable in the civilian market.”

When it comes to the modernization of federal services, taking a holistic approach to user experience could help agencies integrate technology seamlessly and securely. Government Technology Insider talked with Joe Jeter, Senior Vice President of Technology Services at Maximus, to discuss how using a total experience strategy can help agencies pair technology with human-centered design to create meaningful, personalized experiences. By unlocking a total experience strategy, agencies can take a holistic approach to modernizing federal services and programs in a way that is most impactful for their employees and other key stakeholders.

“Total experience looks holistically at the landscape of … all of the surrounding people and interactions that happen in delivering a service to a user … [Then] instead of building it technology in, we built it people out," Jeter explained.