Intelligent Cloud Optimization in Government

State health departments are swamped with their responses to COVID-19 and the recent monkeypox outbreak, making it difficult to map out data modernization strategies. But two public health agencies, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Maryland Department of Health, have successfully adopted a "working backwards" approach to strategic development. With the assistance of Amazon Web Services (AWS), these agencies have crafted roadmaps to their future ideal states, complete with goals and metrics to chart the course.

As complicated as labor and employment requirements can be, the rules for government contractors are even more intricate. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides a roadmap for requirements that are unique to federal government contractors and includes provisions such as human trafficking prevention, service contract labor standards, sick leave, and affirmative action requirements.

Government agencies have become prime targets for cyberattacks. To combat this issue, the federal government has announced a $1 billion investment that will help fund a cyber grant program specifically for state, local and territorial governments across the U.S. But with so many solutions available for enhancing cybersecurity systems, it can still be difficult to know the best place to start. One area ripe for innovation is data security. The Zero Trust data security framework has gained prominence as a viable defense against ransomware. With state and local governments increasingly becoming ransomware targets, it makes sense for agencies to begin enhancing their cybersecurity defense with Zero Trust data security solutions.

Everyone wants to improve the constituent experience for residents accessing public services. Upgrading IT infrastructure, back-office systems and user experiences is at the heart of most conversations surrounding the modernization of state and local governments.