<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4S6kqT_0uwhFJVk00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4S6kqT_0uwhFJVk00" width="1140" height="570" ></figure>For state and local governments looking to build their economies and populations in the post-COVID era, being able to showcase their commitment to a digital future is a top priority. While having access to high-speed Internet is central to that vision, for states and cities to truly become connected hubs being able to secure not only the networks, but data as well. North Dakota is one such state investing in its digital future not only for those who call the state home today but also for its future populace. Currently, North Dakota has the second smallest population in the United States. Its remoteness and harsh winters have been a deterrent to population growth. However, as the cost of living skyrockets, societal priorities change and the climate grows warmer, North Dakota is anticipating that “humble Midwestern values” will make it more attractive to a growing segment of the population. To sweeten the deal, so-to-speak, North Dakota is also investing in its digital infrastructure. Shawn Riley, former CIO of the State of North Dakota shared in an op-ed that: “We [North Dakota] intend to be the most connected state in America. [I]n a country with such acknowledged technology-oriented states as California, New York, Texas, and Massachusetts, we are positioning North Dakota to be a pioneer in the digital transformation of government, education, workforce and society.” However, the CIO’s commitment to a digital future doesn’t end with the deployment of technology to build connected communities. Riley also shared that to deliver on a digital future, North Dakota had to focus on cybersecurity. From investments in cybersecurity education starting in high school to job training programs, being able to protect networks, defend data, and mitigate risk was as essential as investments in fiberoptic networks. Noted Riley, “… we’re prioritizing cybersecurity as a state in order to protect our critical systems, safeguard the data our citizens …” For Riley and his team, focusing on a ‘Whole-of-Government’ approach to security was essential to success. Starting by breaking down silos of information and investment to unify all 7 main government departments, Riley’s intent was to “avoid inefficiency and inevitable gaps created by implementing cybersecurity at only opportunistic, transactional levels by departments.” With this unified security posture in place, it was then possible to launch a next-generation autonomous joint security operations center, or JSOC, to monitor the state government’s networks and provide timely management and mitigation of threats. With so many threats to data and networks bouncing around the Internet today and North Dakota still in the process of building its information security workforce, it was essential that AI-powered automation be a fundamental part of the JSOC. Automation allows not only routine tasks, such as patching, to be scheduled and completed automatically, but it also frees up valuable bandwidth for human SOC engineers and analysts to focus on more complex tasks such as threat identification and remediation. “The only way to keep up with the volume of [cybersecurity] incidents is to harness the power of AI, ML, and automation,” explained Jeff Kihn, Federal Channel Systems Engineer at Palo Alto Networks in a conversation with Government Technology Insider earlier this year. “Inside many tools, AI is leveraged for the best possible outcome. An example would be based on everything we know about malware. This file has never been seen before, but it is malware. AI/ML requires vast information and a computational growth curve that ultimately arrives with a series of helpers, often called Co-Pilots. The Co-Pilots allow humans to make sound decisions faster.” With this next-generation SOC and a speed-to-decision advantage over the growing number of cybersecurity threats, North Dakota is poised to realize its vision of connected communities and take its place among technology-centric states. Want to learn more about how North Dakota is improving connectivity while protecting its enterprise-scale network? Read the full case study here. </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

North Dakota Invests in Cybersecurity to Support Digital Transformation and a Connected Population

For state and local governments looking to build their economies and populations in the post-COVID era, being able to showcase their commitment to a digital future is a top priority. While having access to high-speed Internet is central to that vision, for states and cities to truly become connected hubs being able to secure not only the networks, but data as well. North Dakota is one such state investing in its digital future not only for those who call the state home today but also for its future populace.