Page 14 - FCW, September/October 2020

IT MODERNIZATION
Why the time
to modernize
is now
Modernization is not easy, but it is the key to improving security, engagement and outcomes
Alan Lawrence
Vice President of Federal, Boomi
and tailor their security plans accordingly. Unfortunately, for about 70% of their
data, agencies don’t know whether it is personally identifiable information or any other kind of information whose loss would have serious repercussions. And they don’t know where the data is.
A number of tools are available that can help agencies discover, catalog and mask data so that, for example, a call center employee doesn’t see a citizen’s Social Security number in the database unless it’s necessary.
AGOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE study in 2019 showed that 80% of federal agency IT budgets are spent maintaining legacy applications and systems, and that percentage has been steadily increasing. As a result, only a relatively small amount of money is available for modernization efforts.
Agencies need to shift their focus because IT modernization is essential to improving mission outcomes, particularly in terms of customer and employee engagement. By modernizing and bringing data closer to frontline workers, agencies can improve interactions and outcomes.
For example, studies have shown that 80% of a call center employee’s time is spent answering the same set of questions. With the help of artificial intelligence
and machine learning technology, we can create chatbots and other tools that bring information right to a customer much more quickly.
That approach revitalizes the agency’s relationships with customers, and it boosts satisfaction among employees because they’re not stuck doing rote tasks and can instead focus on activities that require innovation and creativity.
Securing data against
phishing attacks
Data has become a valuable asset and protecting it requires a modernized approach to security that reflects the changing threat landscape. Most agencies have a handle on infrastructure security, and cloud environments meet or exceed the security of on-premises systems,
which is why adversaries are now targeting people instead of infrastructure.
Phishing has become the most common attack vector against government and other systems. To counter those attacks, agencies should determine who needs access to specific data and make that data available only when users need it.
That strategy requires recognizing that all data is not created equal. Agencies should understand the data they have and the level of importance of different data —
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