The California State Auditor has issued a request for proposals that seeks a vendor capable of reviewing the controls within the Financial Information System for California.
Chock-a-block with procurements, IT executives joining and leaving state and local government, and everyone greatly abuzz about artificial intelligence, 2023 was a year to remember in California gov tech. These were its most significant issues.
The California Department of Technology is seeking a specialist to work on the state Information Security Program Audit team. CDT has been faulted by the California State Auditor for its oversight of state agencies’ information security protections.
State Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins provided point-by-point rebuttals to the new report by the California State Auditor.
“CDT appreciates the State Auditor’s comments and its ongoing efforts to provide transparency into the workings of state government operations,” state Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins said in response to Thursday’s report.
In a report to be published Thursday, the California State Auditor will look into how CDT handles IT procurement, governance, vendor selection, information security and staffing.
The Trump administration “neglected” California’s efforts to combat unemployment fraud, says the director of the California Employment Development Department.
Concord has become the latest Bay Area city to try to deter crime by spending big on cameras that can read license plates and allow authorities to identify people with ease.
Since 1965, the state of California has maintained a list of adults who are credibly believed to have abused children. But according to a new report by the state auditor’s office, the database is completely unreliable.
The California Department of Technology disputes many of the findings in a new report from the California State Auditor, the latest in a series of critiques of CDT since 2013. The Auditor offers recommendations for the department as well as the Legislature on how the state should enhance its security practices.
“The Judicial Council has made substantial progress in its procurement and payment policies and practices,” the California State Auditor reports. “In our most recent audits, the Judicial Council has consistently implemented all recommendations. As a result, the Judicial Council has strengthened its procurement and payment policies and practices.”
The delay likely will continue to hamper the ability of the State Controller’s Office to complete annual financial reports on time, which could eventually harm California’s credit rating and increase borrowing costs, the audit says.
A Techwire article this week stated incorrectly that the California State Auditor had faulted a number of state government departments and agencies for their handling of information security. The August report to which the story referred cited only the California Department of Technology on the matter of security; the other entities were included in the August report for other reasons. The original story has been updated.
The overseer of the department that oversees state government has retired. Now the question arises: Whom will Gov. Gavin Newsom name to replace Elaine M. Howle?
The California Department of Technology was cited in previous reports by the State Auditor’s Office for its “high risk” security posture.
The state auditor in 2019 urged the department to remove individuals’ Social Security numbers in mailed correspondence as a way to reduce the risk of identity theft. The target date for completion was this month, but the department now says it needs until April to finish the task.
Elaine Howle, 63, the state auditor for more than 21 years, has been the state’s independent voice, leading examinations of state agencies and winning both sharp anger and lavish praise from the Assembly and Senate members.
The state unemployment department got help from a contractor to assess the risks related to a change in eligibility for benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kumar Sah joins the Sacramento web services company after holding a series of increasingly responsible roles in state government. His most recent position with the state was deputy chief information officer for the State Treasurer’s Office.
The state watchdog’s findings point to problems with the Employment Development Department and the Financial Information System for California, and it says those are among the factors putting state government at risk.
The California Department of Technology has made gains in recent years, and it says a new funding mechanism for how the state pays for information security is expected to yield positive results.
Upcoming Events
With calendar 2024 coming to a close, it’s a natural time to reflect on the cybersecurity mandates, policies, and strategies that have shaped the last few years in government. One of the most impactful strategies has been Zero Trust.
As cybersecurity threats become increasingly sophisticated, government agencies at all levels are facing a difficult task of securing their networks. Just look at these facts about ransomware attacks on state and local government:
