MARCH 2026 19GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKtypes of inputs and created a plan based on risk assessments. I interviewed every department in Washoe County, including the IT and finance team and the stakeholders, to pinpoint the legacy information structures and applications. It was necessary to replace them to enhance cybersecurity. A series of surveys were also sent to end-users, and the data received were fed into our roadmap or technology plan. I should highlight that while developing the plan, I ensured that cybersecurity was identified at the highest level to prevent the risks associated with technology and automation, especially in a county environment. It was also important to have a planning process that comprised a diverse series of strategic actions. One of the strategic actions was to focus on enhancing the citizen's cybersecurity experience. We looked at all the projects that were undergoing throughout the organization and categorized them under strategic actions to make sure that whatever we do subsequently as part of the technology planning process was aligned with the overall objectives of the county. As a result, whichever project did not align with the objectives was placed on the backburner. The next step was to establish a cybersecurity framework and start with CIS as the recommended framework for most agencies in Nevada. We developed a comprehensive series of controls by attacking and observing the framework and went ahead to score ourselves on our efficiency in building an effective cybersecurity system. We developed a data recovery system that can withstand potential attacks. We also made sure to come up with programs like log monitoring, event management system, managed services that monitored networks and data traffic, and so on. Additionally, we partnered with other cybersecurity agencies in the county to help the local government be secured from threats. Please walk us through the leadership strategy that helps you align with Washoe County's objectives.One of the strategies I vouch for is the regionalization of services. We have initiated several regional processes at Washoe County, such as implementing public safety system for both the county and other areas. We have also implemented a CAD/RMS system that helps with dispatching and records management. In the government sector, the resources are greatly limited, making regional initiatives extremely beneficial in improving our response time to public safety. My leadership strategy is primarily about defining priorities by aligning my goal with Washoe County's objectives. I am also a firm believer in forming partnerships at all levels of an organization. Also, in the case of cybersecurity, partnering with vendors and other agencies is a necessity as their help encourages you to be proactive in dealing with security issues. How do you envision the future of cybersecurity in the government space?The pandemic has certainly accelerated the adoption of cybersecurity in the government sector. We are providing more online services to citizens than we did before, and because of this provision, we need to develop proactive cybersecurity strategies to constantly monitor and improve our services. We will be focusing even more on cybersecurity implementations in the upcoming years. I believe many organizations will also focus on organizational excellence in technology, which translates into the structuring and syncing of internal operations with different departments. Every industry will shore up good cybersecurity policies, documents, and procedures and have their staff follow them religiously. The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated digital transformation as, currently, it is a buzzword worldwide. Today, businesses truly understand how technology is significant in improving their business operations and processes. Still, digital transformation is not complete for any organization until they successfully bring their people and technology on the same page by making employees and leadership digitally fluent or tech-savvy. Similarly, when it comes to Washoe County, I would like to see each of our staff become tech-savvy so that they have little to no dependence on central IT to use their applications in day-to-day operations. The lesser dependence they will have on the central IT, the closer the organization will be to digital transformation. Digital transformation is not complete for any organization until they successfully bring their people and technology on the same page.
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