https://statetechmagazine.com/ en https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/why-attack-surface-management-becoming-priority-state-and-local-governments-perfcon As state and local governments continue expanding cloud services, citizen-facing applications and AI initiatives, cybersecurity leaders face a growing challenge: understanding exactly what assets are exposed to potential attackers. That challenge is driving increased interest in attack surface management (ASM), a cybersecurity discipline focused on continuously discovering, monitoring and securing internet-facing assets before they can be exploited. For government organizations operating complex and decentralized technology environments, visibility has become one of the most important… Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:03:22 -0400 Jessica Balen https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/why-attack-surface-management-becoming-priority-state-and-local-governments-perfcon https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/virginia-deq-uses-ai-speed-environmental-permit-reviews The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is using artificial intelligence to streamline environmental permitting, positioning the technology to help agency staff manage a growing workload while continuing to shorten review times. Speaking recently at the AWS Summit Washington, D.C., DEQ Director Michael Rolband said the agency has reduced average permit processing times from 339 days to about 115 days through operational improvements. Now, he said, AI will help the department continue improving efficiency as new regulatory demands increase the number of permits requiring state review… Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:52:10 -0400 Mickey McCarter https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/virginia-deq-uses-ai-speed-environmental-permit-reviews https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/ohio-uses-generative-ai-simplify-unemployment-policies-improve-call-reviews For years, adjudicators at the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services faced an unwieldy challenge. Determining whether someone qualified for unemployment benefits meant navigating a 470-page policy manual alongside the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code — a time-consuming process that also made training new employees difficult. Ohio turned to generative artificial intelligence to simplify that work, and agency leaders shared the results recently during AWS Summit Washington, D.C., describing how AI is helping staff process information more efficiently while keeping humans… Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:48:59 -0400 Mickey McCarter https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/ohio-uses-generative-ai-simplify-unemployment-policies-improve-call-reviews https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/cloud-native-contact-center-modernized-drivers-license-services-texas-official-says Hundreds of thousands of Texans were calling the state’s Driver License Division every month, but only a fraction ever reached a live person. By 2021, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s customer service center was fielding roughly 640,000 calls each month, yet its aging contact center could accommodate only about 200 concurrent callers. Serving a state of more than 30 million residents, the agency found itself answering only about 10% of incoming calls. “We had great people, but operationally, it was a train wreck,” Jessica Iselt Ballew, CIO of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said… Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:25:06 -0400 Mickey McCarter https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/cloud-native-contact-center-modernized-drivers-license-services-texas-official-says https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/ai-literacy-local-government-why-workforce-readiness-matters-ai-adoption-grows-perfcon Artificial intelligence is arriving in local government workplaces faster than many agencies can develop policies, governance frameworks and training programs to support it. Across the public sector, employees are increasingly using generative AI tools to draft communications, summarize documents, conduct research and automate routine administrative tasks. While those capabilities can help agencies improve efficiency, experts say technology deployments alone are not enough. Employees also need the skills to use AI responsibly. “AI literacy is about a foundational set of competencies that… Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:36:40 -0400 Jessica Balen https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/07/ai-literacy-local-government-why-workforce-readiness-matters-ai-adoption-grows-perfcon https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/how-pennsylvania-agencies-are-using-ai-and-cloud-transform-public-services State and local government leaders looking to modernize legacy systems while preparing for broader adoption of artificial intelligence may find useful lessons in Pennsylvania’s approach to digital transformation. A new Government Technology paper, sponsored by Amazon Web Services, highlights how Pennsylvania agencies are using cloud platforms, artificial intelligence and incremental modernization strategies to improve service delivery, strengthen operations and position themselves for future innovation. The report points to efforts underway at organizations including the Pennsylvania… Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:35:46 -0400 Mickey McCarter https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/how-pennsylvania-agencies-are-using-ai-and-cloud-transform-public-services https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/living-edge-smarter-tools-stronger-service-built-where-decisions-happen With recent advancements in technology, especially in artificial intelligence, the public sector has had to make revolutionary changes to keep up, and government technology has never operated at a higher level of complexity. Cloud platforms have made it possible to store, share and analyze vast volumes of data across agencies and jurisdictions. The challenge is not connectivity itself — it is the distance between data and decision. In 2026, edge computing has closed that gap by processing information at the source, on the device, on the vehicle or at the scene, while continuing to work in… Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:30:09 -0400 Chris Lucero https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/living-edge-smarter-tools-stronger-service-built-where-decisions-happen https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/what-cisas-ci-fortify-initiative-means-state-and-local-governments For years, critical infrastructure cybersecurity conversations have focused on familiar threats: ransomware, phishing attacks and account compromises. Those risks remain very real, but the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s CI Fortify initiative is a reminder that state and local government leaders also need to prepare for something larger. CI Fortify encourages critical infrastructure operators and public sector organizations to think beyond routine cyber incidents and consider the possibility of attacks designed to disrupt essential services at scale. That shift in thinking… Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:20:21 -0400 Matt Harper https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/what-cisas-ci-fortify-initiative-means-state-and-local-governments https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/local-ai-agents-next-frontier-government-technology-management In 1996, as the cellular industry was shifting from analog to digital, Sprint PCS ran a memorable campaign suggesting its small mobile devices combined a wireless phone, numeric pager, answering machine, caller ID, text and numeric messaging, calendar, calculator, and message notification system. The ads made it seem as though a whole collection of once-separate tools had somehow been tucked inside a single device. Today we are seeing a similar appeal, especially when it comes to computers and laptops. Most new entries boast that they are “AI ready” or have “AI Inside.” Even the most… Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:20:04 -0400 Alan R. Shark https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/local-ai-agents-next-frontier-government-technology-management https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/new-guidance-offers-blueprint-local-government-ai-governance As local governments move from experimentation to broader deployment of artificial intelligence, new guidance from the Municipal Research and Services Center suggests that governance may be just as important as the technology itself. The updated resource, published by MRSC in late May, compiles AI policies, governance frameworks and implementation guidance from cities and counties across Washington state. The guidance arrives as local governments nationwide explore generative AI tools for tasks such as research, drafting, meeting summaries and constituent communications. Among the most common… Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:23:35 -0400 Jessica Balen https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2026/06/new-guidance-offers-blueprint-local-government-ai-governance