As Hurricane Irma struck, the state of Georgia worked to standardize its statewide damage reporting system by introducing the Georgia Emergency Management Agency Engaged Citizens Damage Assessment GeoForm.
Georgia citizens were able to submit an online form to report the damage to their property during and after Hurricane Irma. The website was launched on Sept. 7 and GEMA received 210 reports in a 48-hour period from the beginning of the hurricane.
Hardik Bhatt is stepping down from his role as Illinois’ CIO to move to the private sector–joining Amazon in a public sector-facing role. To fill Bhatt’s shoes, current state CISO Kirk Lonbom is stepping up as interim CIO. Lonbom has worked in Illinois state government for more than a decade, and became state CISO in 2015.
Indianapolis CIO Ken Clark spoke with 21st Century State & Local about the Shift Indy revamp and how other cities can improve their digital presence. Shift Indy, a massive two-year overhaul of the Indy.gov website, was announced in April.
Illinois CIO Hardik Bhatt announced that he is leaving the public sector for a new role at Amazon. While he didn’t discuss specifics of his new role, Bhatt said he would be joining a new public sector-facing team primarily focused on the Internet of Things (IoT), transportation, and smart cities.
Telecommunications companies, including Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, are expanding Internet and cellphone coverage, and deploying emergency equipment in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
A hacker grouped named Dragonfly 2.0 has gained access to several companies that supply electricity to the U.S. power grid, according to Symantec. The new wave of cyberattacks could give attackers the means to severely disrupt affected operations centers in Europe and North America. Dragonfly 2.0 has been in operation since at least 2011 and is linked to the Russian government.
Research published by SecurityScorecard found that though Federal and state governments have improved their cybersecurity since the rating system’s last report, they still fall behind the rankings of most industries in the U.S.
Hundreds of thousands of guests pass through the gates of the New York State Fair, but this year a new guest could be seen flying high above the crowds. Two state-owned drones were used for the first time to monitor weekend traffic conditions at the 13-day fair that ended Sept. 4. “The New York State […]
Military bases operate like their own towns and cities, and should be considered partners in smart city initiatives, according to Richard Kidd, deputy assistant secretary of the Army, who spoke at the Global City Teams Challenge Expo. “The Army runs 156 towns across America and every day more than 2 million people go to work inside those towns and cities that are Army installations,” said Kidd. “We are facing many of the challenges that you are facing.”
