GTA Update - Jan-Feb 2023

Update newsletter

Jan-Feb 2023 | Vol. 15, Issue 1

State CIO's column

Tending both sides of the technology coin

Technology enables government, all across Georgia. Everything from tax collection to driver’s licensing, education, and community health are more efficient thanks to technology. It fuels service delivery improvement and innovation. And if we're honest, we have to acknowledge, it also brings its own challenges.

We have to be concerned with both sides of the technology coin. The upsides like innovation and efficiency, as well as the down, like cybersecurity threats. Whether at GTA or your agency, we all juggle this mix every day.

None of us has to do it alone. Frankly, the job is too big for any single entity. GTA champions shared resources across the state’s technology enterprise. Our collaboration with a broad range of state agencies continues to be central to strengthening IT capabilities of Georgia’s state government.

There’s enormous potential to improve citizen services through IT modernization. The Governor’s Office last year prioritized moving agency applications and systems to cloud computing environments. GTA leads that migration as it continues into 2023. A growing number of agencies are now operating in the cloud, with more headed that way. It’s transformative, and it can come with cost-savings too.

Needs don’t stop at cloud, of course, and GTA is opening its set of IT services to more agencies. Our strike team connects agencies with GTA component teams who can answer business needs with the best-suited technologies. Broadband service expansion in Georgia also spotlights the power of technology. We work with the Department of Community Affairs and others to bring service to more communities and locations statewide.

The upsides lift every state entity’s boat, and the rising tide also brings shared responsibility for technology challenges – cybersecurity in particular. Sound security policies and practices have to be complemented by security awareness training for general staff and robust skills training for our security professionals.

It's a lot to manage, and by many measures, Georgia is managing well. None of us suggests that means we can relax though. As we launch into 2023, I ask for your continued commitment to effective management of IT environments. You have GTA's full commitment to continued collaboration as we all innovate and improve, capitalizing on the best technology has to offer. Here’s wishing you a bright new year.

Shawnzia Thomas

State Chief Information Officer

GTA Executive Director

Cloud-first campaign continues, lifted by first-year successes

Georgia agencies are acclimating to higher altitudes. Through the GTA-led cloud computing migration, some 50 or so agency applications and systems had transitioned by year's end. More are queued this year in a transformation prioritized by the Governor’s Office. And, by aggregating the state’s purchases of cloud services, GTA is able to offer discounted pricing to Georgia government entities.

The first phases of the transformation in 2022 focused on migrations into Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. Agencies including the departments of Administrative Services, Corrections, Drivers Services, Natural Resources, Public Health and GTA have new cloud operations. They're enjoying new flexibility and autonomy, as well as access to a broader range of technology services.

GTA is also introducing options in the Microsoft Azure cloud, with several agencies organizing migrations to Azure. GTA partners with SDI Presence to provide expert migration management on the Azure side. SDI Presence will use the Azure Migrate tool to assess an agency's migration needs and generate a comprehensive inventory of considerations for successful migrations. Assessments are expected to proceed starting this month. Migrations will progress through summer.

The state’s mainframe and applications running on it will shift to the AWS cloud. This migration too extends into 2023 and will decrease costs while also enabling continued mainframe services.

Cloud operations require new skills from agency IT professionals. GTA continues to help state agencies prepare, providing access to varied training options. A new slate of free instructor-led and self-guided AWS virtual training courses has been announced. Topics include architecting, system operations, development, and security. Details are accessible on GTA's Cloud Campus online training center, along with Azure training opportunities.

A lunch ‘n’ learn series led by a GTA cloud expert continues to explore technical cloud subjects. And, GTA anticipates soon expanding training further by adding instructor-led, 8-week courses via the Technical College System of Georgia. These courses give agency IT staff still another option and can lead to a professional AWS certification.

Updated design theme coming for sites on state's GovHub platform

Look for a refreshed design in 2023 of the more than 80 state agency websites hosted on Georgia's GovHub digital publishing platform. It's part of plans by GTA's Digital Services Georgia (DSGa) team, managers of GovHub, to ensure agencies' web presence continues to meet the expectations and needs of Georgians and their increasing appetite for interacting with government online.

DSGa plans an informational webinar January 25 where it will preview the updated theme for the Orchard design system they use to establish consistent branding for state websites. Agency web managers are encouraged to register for that session via DSGa's website.

As a new year starts, DSGa is also further safeguarding state websites by implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for agency web administrators who manage content on the GovHub platform. Beginning this month, those administrators will set up MFA via authentication tools like Okta Verify, Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator on their mobile devices to help protect against cyber risks.

Bridging from last year, DSGa reminds agency web managers of the data retention policy now in place for GovHub. Any content moved to trash will be automatically purged after 90 days. That includes content on site pages, documents, images, videos and more.

And for DSGa highlights from 2022, check their Year in Review collection where you'll see evidence of their continued commitment to accessibility, innovation and ease of use across Georgia's digital resources, all with a goal of best serving Georgians seeking information and services from their state government.

Briefly ...

More than 76,000 locations in Georgia communities stand to gain the high-speed internet access they currently lack. That spans households, businesses and community anchor institutions (e.g., libraries, hospitals) in 28 counties, and it comes on the strength of newly announced broadband expansion grant awards. A Governor's Office news release details $234M in new awards via Georgia's Capital Projects Fund Grant Program built on American Rescue Plan Act funds. When combined with matching funds from the 29 awardees, the awards will represent a $455M investment to bring broadband to a sizeable slice of Georgia's approximately 455,000 unserved locations. The awardees include varied internet service providers, from EMCs to large telecommunications firms to Georgia companies operating locally. The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget collaborated with GTA to establish and administer the competitive grant program and direct investment specifically toward unserved communities.

At the start of the year GTA named Steve Hodges the state's Chief Information Security Officer. He will head GTA's Office of Information Security and the range of efforts OIS leads to promote cyber defenses and the state's cybersecurity readiness. Steve comes to the role after nearly 22 years at Georgia's Department of Revenue in a series of IT positions, the most recent being senior IT security manager and disclosure officer. GTA thanks Mike Davis for his recent service as state CISO in an interim capacity. Mike continues as Deputy CISO.

State employees across all agencies remain the front-line defense for safeguarding state systems and data. GTA's Office of Information Security reinforces best practices and prepares staff for their critical role through its ongoing program of cybersecurity awareness training. That periodic training is required of employees at executive branch agencies, with completion reports provided to agency leaders. Diligence in completing this training on schedule is appreciated to keep us cyber alert and aware.

To further protect the integrity of state systems and data, the GTA Office of Information Security last month introduced security standard SS-22-002 that prohibits certain high-risk software and services on state of Georgia-controlled systems and devices. GTA is working with service providers to develop enterprise tools to block access to and use of prohibited applications (e.g., TikTok, WeChat). Note that the standard requires agencies to take immediate and necessary steps to remove prohibited software where it may be in use or exist on state-controlled assets.

Get ready to nominate your innovative IT projects for recognition in the GTA-sponsored Technology Innovation Showcase. The 2023 edition of the showcase, now in its 12th year, is accepting new entries from Georgia state and local government entities. Projects receiving top honors in last year's showcase stretched from implementing a new driver's licensing system to a school bus safety inspection online portal. State agencies ranging from the Road and Tollway Authority to the Technical College System were among the honorees. More than just an awards program, the showcase promotes exchange of ideas for innovative uses of technology to deliver the services citizens need today. See details on the GTA website, and submit your entries now.

The Annual State IT Report highlights the wide-ranging accomplishments of Georgia IT. GTA anticipates publishing the FY 2022 edition soon. Themes will likely include the state's cloud computing transformation, defending systems and data against cyber attackers, promotion of broadband service expansion in Georgia’s underserved communities, Georgia’s digital presence, and national recognition for Georgia’s state government IT. Watch the GTA website for announcement of the report's availability.