3 Technology Trends in the Future of Government – Cisco Blogs

Welcome to the first blog in our #SecureGovernment series! Today, we look at the technological trends that are likely to drive the future of government.

In recent times, we’ve seen an unprecedented rate of digital transformation in the public sector. While the government is traditionally built for stability and risk-minimization, agility and rapid adoption were imperative to ensure that critical services were kept up and running. With the lessons learned and building blocks in place, what are some of the broad trends that are not only here to stay, but will influence how we reimagine the future of government?

The future of government work is hybrid 

Before the pandemic, remote work in the government sector was almost unimaginable. Given the sensitivity of data and operations that employees work with, the government workforce was kept behind the perceived safety of enterprise walls. However, the necessitated transition to remote work has shattered enduring beliefs about where and how government employees work. Like their private sector counterparts, public sector employees are also indicating their preference for hybrid work, and have demonstrated that productivity has remained consistent, if not improved.

As governments across the region discuss the best return-to-office strategies for their agencies, we’re seeing that remote work is here to stay, albeit in the form of hybrid work. However, while the shift to remote work during the pandemic was abrupt and quick, the transition to hybrid work should be a more deliberate and meticulous process.

The expanded digitization of government services

Even before the pandemic, governments have been moving towards their version of a “Digital Government.” In recent times, we’ve seen rapid experimentation and innovation undertaken to ensure that citizens can continue to access key services online. Many government services which have traditionally been face-to-face can be delivered remotely. From virtual courts, citizen-centric applications to hybrid learning, when else in history have we seen such a scale of experimentation within the public sector?

While different countries are at varying stages in this journey, the continued digitizing of service delivery processes will nonetheless continue to be an ongoing priority in the agenda of governments. Governments today are experimenting with technologies such as IoT, AI and ML to unlock the next generation of citizen-centric service delivery.

The rise of cyberthreats

The two trends identified above have one thing in common: unlocking the power of technology to ultimately provide a better experience for our employees, citizens, and communities. However, as digital technology becomes increasingly embedded into processes, the looming threat of bad actors capitalizing on our growing connectivity will only continue to grow. The shift to remote work and growth in endpoint devices, migration of mission-critical functions to the cloud, and access to citizen data online are some of the junctures in which bad actors seek out security gaps to exploit. As a result, a strong cybersecurity posture is an essential investment for governments to mitigate risks.

This is why we are embarking on our #SecureGovernment series, where we will be exploring how to secure your agency’s mission, wherever you are on your digitalization journey.

Stay tuned for more as we dive into what’s top-of-mind when it comes to government cybersecurity.

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