Author Archive

Chris Teale

Staff Reporter, Route Fifty

Chris Teale
Chris Teale is a technology reporter covering cybersecurity and IT modernization in state and local government.
Cloud & Infrastructure

Officials tout data centers’ economic benefits

Amazon said its facilities in Virginia paid more than $300 million in taxes last year alone, and local leaders said the campuses contribute to economic development.

Data & Analytics

Virtual innovation center tackles health interoperability challenges

The Interoperability Institute will leverage AWS cloud services to accelerate health data sharing.

Cloud & Infrastructure

State scales up cloud workforce with free training for agency employees

Any employee at a Georgia state agency making the transition to cloud can now take an eight-week course through the Technical College System of Georgia and improve their cloud skills.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Researchers envision a citywide testbed for future mobility

Chattanooga is expanding connected infrastructure on its gigabit fiber network to support autonomous vehicle and quantum computing research.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity standards gain ground in counties

More counties are embracing voluntary cybersecurity frameworks to evaluate their risk and better protect their assets, a recent report shows.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Early funding allows states to explore broadband options

Vermont is using its share of the federal Capital Projects Fund for last-mile connections to underserved rural areas and boosting digital equity among disadvantaged residents.

Cybersecurity

State looks to better assess vendor security

Michigan wants a “security rating snapshot” of contractors as well as a public portal that details their financial risk.

Public Safety

Prisons ‘under attack’ from drones delivering contraband

Experts said the issue has exploded in recent years but could be fixed if states get the authority to jam cellphone signals.

Cloud & Infrastructure

State turns to the cloud to manage transportation projects

The Delaware Department of Transportation will track $3 billion in spending over the next five years with a cloud-based capital program management solution.

Data & Analytics

The challenge in identifying problematic online gambling

While technology can help spot those who exhibit signs of problem gambling, finding just what to measure and interpreting that data is tricky.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers advocate more funds for state fusion centers

Better information sharing across regions and state lines could help counter growing cyberthreats and help law enforcement collaborate, House members said.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Start students early to build semiconductor talent pipeline

Experiential learning combined with an emphasis on how chips can solve vital national security problems can help ease an expected worker shortage, one expert said.

Cybersecurity

Federal grants could boost whole-of-state cyber defense

The $1 billion State and Local Government Cybersecurity Grant Program requires states to collaborate more closely with their local governments, reinforcing the holistic approach favored in many state capitals.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Why technical debt is really ‘innovation debt’

When agencies have an assessment and mitigation strategy for technical debt, they can more easily modernize systems and roll out new features.

Cloud & Infrastructure

County builds future-ready transportation IT network

Gwinnett County’s Transportation Department tied its upgraded network more closely to the county’s enterprise IT infrastructure, allowing standardized technology and paving the way for connected vehicles.

Cybersecurity

Enforcement questions dog state’s proposed TikTok ban

One expert derided legislation like Montana’s statewide ban on TikTok as “breathtakingly obtuse” and unenforceable from a technological point of view.

Emerging Tech

State AG floats ‘nation-leading’ crypto regulation

The legislation would protect investors and consumers by increasing transparency and eliminating conflicts of interest, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Align agencies, residents to boost customer experience

Online portals can streamline services delivery and even support related applications, but agencies must build trust with staff and residents as they roll out automated services that collect personal information, agency experts say.

Cybersecurity

How government can build secure and frictionless digital identity programs

States that lost millions to fraud during the pandemic have plenty of ways to tighten their ID management programs, a new playbook suggests.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Agencies opting for bots see more efficiency—and resistance

With enterprise automation saving thousands of work hours, IT leaders are looking for ways to introduce the technology to government offices.