SLED Security Assessment: Technology Risks in State and Local Government and Education Organizations

State and Local Government and Education (SLED) organizations often find themselves at a pivotal point in the evolution of technology. Embracing new technologies is a delicate balancing act—while it introduces certain risks, avoiding these risks leaves constituents, employees, and students stuck with poor experiences and limited productivity.  

As technology becomes outdated in sectors where updates and migrations are infrequent, the negative impact on the organization and its constituents multiplies. Legacy systems quickly become insufficient and, at worst, completely obsolete. Business continuity strategies in government and education are often weakened by frequent leadership changes, making it difficult to drive technological change. Consequently, despite the pressing need, many organizations are hesitant to overhaul their technology infrastructure.

So, how can a SLED organization navigate this challenging situation? How can they effectively assess the risks and make decisions that are safe, sustainable, and beneficial for everyone involved? Below, we delve into some of the major risks associated with legacy technology in SLED and offer insights on how to move forward.

Risk #1: Legacy Technology is Incompatible with Modern Best Practices

Improve Customer Experience (CX)

Legacy technology, relics of a bygone era, often fails to meet the increasing demands for exceptional customer experience (CX). This outdated technology can severely damage the reputation of organizations and their leaders, including elected officials who resist modernization. Aging equipment, outdated platforms, and obsolete coding languages lead to slow websites, frequent error messages, malfunctioning account portals, and long response times. Constituents, frustrated by these poor experiences, feel neglected and undervalued, which negatively impacts their satisfaction with the organization and its officials—affecting their voting decisions.

In the digital age, where essential forms, communications, information sharing, and record keeping are primarily online, legacy systems are ill-equipped to handle the volume and complexity of modern digital traffic. Maintenance becomes challenging, and many organizations lack the budget or skilled staff to manage these outdated systems effectively. Unlike the private sector, which has widely embraced cloud solutions and specialized IT management, SLED organizations often lag behind, frustrating constituents, users, and employees.

Modernizing the technology stack can significantly enhance CX, putting SLED organizations in a better position to meet the needs of their constituents.

Reduce Security Risks

While poor CX can damage political reputations, inadequate security poses a grave risk to national security and constituent safety. Legacy technology is often incapable of defending against sophisticated cyberattacks. Simple firewalls and password locks, especially those poorly maintained, are insufficient against today's advanced threats. Additionally, as the use of IoT devices grows for both critical functions (like environmental monitoring and security) and everyday applications (like smartwatches and smart home systems), outdated networks fail to provide the necessary segmentation to protect these devices from cyber threats.

A security breach could have catastrophic consequences, compromising public infrastructure and national security. It also jeopardizes the sensitive personal information of citizens, such as medical and educational records, passwords, SSNs, and bank information. The risks associated with maintaining legacy technology far outweigh the manageable risks of migration to modern systems.

A comprehensive approach to modernizing technology can help SLED organizations mitigate security risks more effectively than legacy systems allow.

Empower Innovation

Legacy technology stifles organizational agility and innovation. SLED organizations are tasked with solving complex problems for their constituents and stakeholders, but outdated systems often tie their hands. While many make the best of their current situation, imagine the potential if a modern platform enabled users, developers, and IT staff to be agile and creative in their approaches.

By adopting modern technology, SLED organizations can empower their teams to innovate and respond more effectively to the evolving needs of their constituents.

Risk #2: Owning Technology Doesn't Make It More Secure or Effective

The Cloud is Actually Safer

Many SLED organizations still rely heavily on centralized, on-premises IT systems. This approach presents a critical point of failure, especially when compared to the private sector, which often adopts cloud, multi-cloud, or hybrid solutions.

There's a persistent belief among government and education agencies that owning their technology ensures greater security compared to investing in cloud services. However, managing on-premises solutions demands significant time and specialized resources, such as regular updates and maintenance for optimal performance. Without dedicated resources and top-tier talent, these systems are far less secure.

Furthermore, on-premises equipment often consists of legacy hardware that is nearing or past its end-of-life. Obsolete phone systems, servers, and other equipment are ill-equipped to handle today's security threats, potentially creating vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. These systems may also raise compliance and governance issues, which can be mitigated by transitioning to cloud-based applications and solutions.

For SLED organizations managing their own on-premises solutions, the path to improvement lies in partnering with a secure Cloud Service Provider (CSP). A CSP can facilitate the migration of services to the cloud, providing access to dedicated security talent and robust security measures that reduce risk and ensure meticulous network management.

Outsourcing Is the Way

Owning outdated technology leads to a fragile system, compounded by a chicken-and-egg scenario with IT talent. As experienced professionals familiar with legacy equipment retire or leave the labor market, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain these systems. Simultaneously, the outdated technology is less appealing to new, emerging talent.

New graduates are not eager to join IT departments where they'll learn outdated equipment and programming languages. They prefer environments that embrace modern technology, offering opportunities to develop skills that will be valuable in the future.

This talent gap poses a significant risk and point of failure in an already fragile IT ecosystem. Often, the departure of the sole employee who understands the legacy system can disrupt the entire operation.

Hiring a Technology Service Provider (TSP), Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), or specialized provider offers a safer and more effective solution. These experts can keep technology up-to-date, perform regular maintenance and monitoring, address mission-critical issues, and proactively defend against security risks. An outsourced team of specialists is better equipped to manage technology than an owner lacking the necessary knowledge and workforce to keep up with evolving demands.

Risk #3: Outdated Technology is Too Static to Ensure Continuity in Times of Crisis

Improve Resiliency

Many SLED agencies still rely on on-site data centers and other locally situated, on-premises technology. In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other crises affecting the area, these systems can fail completely. Unfortunately, many organizations only realize this vulnerability in the aftermath of such events.

Various factors, such as staff shortages, procurement challenges, accounting issues, and a conservative approach to change, often hinder modernization efforts within SLED organizations. This resistance to adopting more efficient technology prevents them from reaping the benefits of IT innovations.

A prime example is the COVID-19 pandemic. At its onset, many SLED organizations struggled to support remote work due to a lack of appropriate technology. Large legacy phone systems, in particular, posed significant problems due to their geographic limitations. These constraints quickly overwhelmed organizations, pausing crucial initiatives and exposing the public to danger as essential services were reduced or became unavailable. The public sector remains technologically behind the private sector in this regard.

To ensure resilience and continuity, SLED organizations need to embrace rapid cloud adoption. Cloud solutions are inherently more dynamic, capable of scaling and adapting to urgent workflow changes during crises, thereby ensuring business continuity.

Adopting solutions like Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) can enable instant support for remote work operations. These tools, along with collaborative platforms and shared resources, can keep teams connected and operational, maintaining essential services and communication with the public during critical times.

How TierOne Can Help

At TierOne, we recognize the complexities and constant evolution of technology. Our expertise lies in developing comprehensive solutions that go beyond the limited success of piecemeal approaches, fostering enduring efficiencies and resilient problem-solving capabilities.

We are uniquely equipped to support SLED organizations. Our team of technologists and advisory partners possesses deep knowledge of the compliance requirements, security concerns, and business continuity challenges specific to these sectors. With extensive experience working with numerous SLED clients, we are adept at addressing their unique needs and ensuring their technological infrastructure is robust, secure, and future-proof.

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