There are several global threat actors to be aware of, including “well-funded nation state adversaries”, these nation state adversaries and others are constantly deploying cyber-attacks to gain intelligence. As the recent situation with Ukraine and Russia shows, cyber-attacks are another component of warfare. These tactics are used to gain competitive advantage and disrupt the interests of the United States, and other nations. These attacks are also meant to exploit and gather information and use that intelligence for internal benefits, as they see fit. Even though public awareness may be increasing in the recent months due to global conflicts and high-profile incidents; cyber-attacks are regular occurrences. While threat actors have always been a culprit, what really puts government at risk is the outdated policies, procedures, staffing levels and technologies that they operate under. Today’s threat is not mainly a technology problem but more of an organizational challenge.
The COVID pandemic, too, brought about serious digital changes. Many organizations, including Contra Costa, scrambled to equip thousands of staff to work remotely. Business processes had to be developed in an expedited fashion. Organizations like CCISDA allowed California CIOs to collaborate and share lessons learned to fast track policies and procedures for the new working world.
As a result of the pandemic, the work life model has permanently shifted with more and more people prioritizing a flexible work schedule and location. Contra Costa has enforced a permanent hybrid work policy to improve the quality of its employees’ lives.
WHILE THREAT ACTORS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CULPRIT, WHAT REALLY PUTS GOVERNMENT AT RISK IS THE OUTDATED POLICIES, PROCEDURES, STAFFING LEVELS AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT THEY OPERATE UNDER
Another result of the pandemic is that businesses everywhere are having to reconsider the structure that they operate under. With employees working from their devices at home security must be enhanced to ensure the safety of the company. This is another area where Contra Costa has relied on key vendor partnerships to bring this to fruition.
Recent events have provided an opportunity to engage in dialogue so we can begin to understand and address systemic societal issues. These internal changes have produced a shift in the priorities of inclusion. These movements are inclusive of diverse groups and at Contra Costa County we have an all-inclusive staffing model from the bottom to the top.
What we learned over the last two years is that global issues have brought an enduring transformation to the workplace. Through these changes we have held to our core priorities: To build an organization that can be agile and meet the needs of our customers; to create an environment that attracts and retains talent; to adopt strategic goals that enable innovation and collaboration; and to build a culture where staff feel safe, heard, and are empowered to make positive change.
