CitySmart by VC3

This curated content is from VC3's blog and shares non-technical, municipal-relevant insights about critical technology issues, focusing on how technology reduces costs, helps better serve citizens, and lessens cybersecurity risks. VC3 is solely responsible for the article’s content.

Displaying Items 46-60 (of 80)

Georgia Data Breach Provides Lessons for Cities

CitySmart by VC3

January 26, 2018

Dave Mims, CEO, Sophicity

If your city hasn’t yet experienced a major data breach, it may just be a matter of time. In fact, it's already happened to a city in Georgia. Learning from this incident, your city can implement some best practices that will lessen the risk of exposing your citizens’ personal information to hackers or unauthorized individuals.

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Freeware Dangers for Cities

CitySmart by VC3

December 20, 2017

Michael Chihlas, Network Infrastructure Consultant

Free software. It sounds like a great bargain. However, a recent incident shows the dangers of freeware. Back in September, CCleaner (a common free software) experienced a major security flaw. When CCleaner pushed out a software update for its customers, the software update contained malicious code that could be used by hackers to control a person’s computer.

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The Tripod of IT: Proactivity, Training, and Disaster Recovery

CitySmart by VC3

November 27, 2017

Dave Mims, CEO, Sophicity

Information technology sometimes seems like it’s just about computers, software, networks, bits, and bytes. Best practices, policies, people, and other non-technical aspects of IT are often forgotten and too commonly unconsidered, which creates great risk for cities. Consider IT like a tripod—and stand firmly upon these three legs to address any real risks you may be overlooking.

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Patching: A Necessity in a World of Ransomware

CitySmart by VC3

October 30, 2017

Ryan Warrick, Network Infrastructure Consultant

Today, all of government—including local government—is a target for hackers. The risks and dangers from failing to proactively manage technology patches and updates are simply too great to ignore.

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Equifax Data Breach Provides Lessons in Cybersecurity Responsibility for Cities

CitySmart by VC3

September 20, 2017

Dave Mims, CEO, Sophicity

If there is one overarching lesson from Equifax, it’s that cybersecurity is just becoming too big to ignore. For many years, cities and other organizations have pled technology ignorance, lack of budget, or that they had no need for proactive technology support. Those times are over. 

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Righting Your Technology Improves Compliance and Avoids Lawsuits

CitySmart by VC3

August 31, 2017

Mark Holbrook, Technical Account Manager, Sophicity

Compliance. One of those necessary operational activities that you know is working when nothing bad happens. When compliance doesn’t work, you open the door to significant risk. We’ve talked a lot in the past about the legal consequences of poor technology infrastructure and support. In this post, we want to highlight how specific areas of compliance can be impacted by your technology.

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5 Real Cybersecurity Dangers for Cities

CitySmart by VC3

July 28, 2017

Dave Mims, CEO, Sophicity

Barraged with cybersecurity news every day, it’s difficult to sift the real danger from the noise. Cybersecurity headlines tend toward the dramatic—even if the concerns are real.

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7 Reasons City Employees Should Not Use Unapproved Software

CitySmart by VC3

June 28, 2017

John Miller, Senior Consultant

In the news, we’ve seen plenty of times when government employees get into a lot of trouble by using software that’s not approved by government entities. From private email servers to encrypted messaging apps, big problems occur when government employees download software outside of IT policy.

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3 Ways Cities Can Avoid a WannaCry-like Ransomware Attack

CitySmart by VC3

May 25, 2017

Nathan Eisner, COO

If ransomware hasn’t gotten your attention yet, then the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm that ravaged the world for a week in mid-May should make you sit up. The attacks were so devastating to many organizations—from major hospitals to important financial institutions—that ransomware is now mainstream news and the talk of federal and state legislators.

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Make Your Website ADA-Compliant: Best Practices for Cities

CitySmart by VC3

April 25, 2017

Victoria Boyko, Software Development Consultant

Despite the perceived importance of ADA-compliant websites, many city websites do not comply with best practices that help disabled people access content. While ADA, W3C, and other organizations provide detailed guidelines and best practices, very few enforceable laws exist to keep cities accountable. Plus, even if a website designer follows all ADA best practices, a city employee may upload content to the city's website that doesn’t meet these requirements.

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IT Lessons from a City That Lost $3.6 Million in Preventable Fraud

CitySmart by VC3

March 29, 2017

Ryan Warrick, Network Infrastructure Consultant

Are you sure that fraudsters aren’t currently stealing money from you? Is your technology modernized in such a way that you aren’t headed for a major disaster like permanent data loss?

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10 Technology Warning Signs That You're Headed for a Disaster (Part 2)

CitySmart by VC3

February 27, 2017

John Miller, Senior Consultant

Last time we talked about warning signs such as lack of data backup, aging hardware, and non-technical staff handling IT issues. In Part Two, we discuss five more warning signs that may lead your city toward a disaster.

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10 Technology Warning Signs That You're Headed for a Disaster (Part 1)

CitySmart by VC3

January 26, 2017

John Miller, Senior Consultant

Too many times, cities only take action when a disruption or disaster hits. That’s way, way too late. Let’s look at some scenarios that might strike a chord with your city. If any of these scenarios speak to you, then you need to act. Now.

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The Essential Elements of a Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Policy

CitySmart by VC3

December 20, 2016

Mike Smith, Network Infrastructure Consultant

What happens when the worst happens? As an important city policy that should not be neglected, a disaster recovery and business continuity policy outlines how to recover electronic data after a catastrophe. Because cities cannot predict when a disaster such as a fire, flooding, or tornado will occur, it’s essential that a disaster recovery plan is in place.

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5 Best Practices to Improve Your Network Security

CitySmart by VC3

November 28, 2016

Ryan Warrick, Network Infrastructure Consultant, Sophicity

To understand the importance of network security, imagine your technology like it’s city hall. Inside city hall, you have people, offices, hallways, and assets like furniture, office supplies, and computers. To gain access to the inside, parts of city hall may be open to the public—like the unlocked front door from 9-to-5. Other parts may be off-limits directly (such as a locked door) or indirectly (such as a security officer or a sign that says “keep out”).

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Displaying Items 46-60 (of 80)