Tag Archives: CA

Become Your Own Job Fair Ringleader

Posted on by

Walking into (or logging onto) a job fair can be incredibly intimidating. While having a wide variety of companies to meet with is great, it can be overwhelming. The crowds of fellow job seekers highlight just how many people are competing for the same position. Being repeatedly asked questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and goals can make even the most self-assured person second guess themselves. However, these discomforts are exactly what make these events valuable resources for job seekers. Being able to meet with multiple companies in one place at one time is incredibly efficient, and those difficult conversations help you hone your story and message, improving your presentation each time you deliver answers.

To mitigate some of the anxiety and capitalize on the power of job fairs, consider these tips for making the most of your attendance. Continue reading →

Cloud Computing Rains Down Added Benefits

Posted on by

Cloud computing has long been heralded as a more efficient computing model that allows resources to be quickly scaled up and down as needed to achieve cost savings. Initial fears about security--namely the idea of trusting a third party with network access and data--have been overcome as individual organizations have been unable to keep up with the complex threat landscape. Increasingly, these organizations have turned to cloud providers to gain the security expertise and the resources needed to protect their data and systems. As the use of cloud has increased, benefits beyond cost savings and security have emerged in some surprising areas.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

As organizations, particularly government employers, look to fill critical talent gaps both in technology positions and in operational roles, they have to provide a modern work experience. The best way to do that is by being a "cloud native" organization--one that embraces cloud services to build and deliver digital solutions. Today's workforce is used to managing their personal lives with digital applications, and expects to be able to do the same in their work lives. A recent poll showed that 83% of government leaders expect the transition to digital government to improve employee job satisfaction and engagement within their organization. Continue reading →

Blockchain on Your Block

Posted on by

Beyond its use for cryptocurrency, Blockchain is proving to be a valuable technology to help modernize government service delivery. The key quality of blockchain is its ability to record transactions immutably. Managing transactions is a key function of state and local governments, and as such, they are looking for ways to incorporate blockchain as part of their digital modernization processes.

The decentralization of blockchain provides a level of transparency and accountability not typically associated with government. It can give citizens more control over their data and let them more easily check the status of requests they've made of their state and local governments. Continue reading →

The State of Cybersecurity in the States

Posted on by

State and local agencies are some of the most attractive and vulnerable targets for cyber criminals. In 2023, malware attacks increased by 148%, and ransomware incidents increased by 51%. These agencies are targeted because they hold valuable personal data on citizens and control critical services--yet their security efforts have historically been underfunded and under-resourced. However, the tide may be changing.

A report on the ransomware experiences of state and local government in 2024 showed a dramatic decrease in the number of those organizations that were impacted this year. The report found ransomware attacks impacting 34% of state and local governments, marking a sharp decrease from the 69% affected in 2023. Let's take a look at some of the trends and activities that are fueling the improvement in state and local cybersecurity. Continue reading →

Building Blockchain in Government

Posted on by

Use of blockchain is steadily rising across government as a secure, transparent, and cost-effective way to track the movement of goods, services, and data. From 2020 to 2023, government spending on blockchain more than doubled. In fact, spending may be even higher as blockchain may be used as part of other solutions, like the cloud, so spending on it is buried in larger technology procurements. Additionally, more and more procurements are specifying the need for blockchain expertise.

Blockchain in Government Today

Blockchain is being used to meet a wide variety of key government challenges, from combating fraud to reducing spending waste to improving the transparency of government services. The IRS is using blockchain data analytics to track down transactions and confirm their legitimacy. The Air Force is looking at it as a key component to drive predictive maintenance. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is exploring how blockchain can secure systems against quantum computing threats to modern encryption. Continue reading →