Illinois

While cybersecurity remains a high priority for many CIOs, we spoke to technology leaders to understand what other skills are difficult to find when recruiting new talent.

The Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles is deploying kiosks this fall as part of a pilot program to help residents access services like driver’s license renewals more efficiently. Average transaction times are estimated at roughly two minutes.

At NASCIO, Illinois CIO Sanjay Gupta says he has won direct appropriations for tech from state officials. He wants to move away from the chargeback model eventually, which he says will result in better services.

An unsecured platform made roughly 4.6 million records across a dozen Illinois counties temporarily available on the Internet. Information exposed included voting registrations. The vulnerability was identified in July.

Illinois' DMV modernization hit a snag with rampant no-shows for digital appointments. But a simple tech fix — text reminders — may be turning the tide. Government Technology dives into the data to reveal the impact.

The state’s second most populous county has created the force after a roundtable discussion by county IT leaders last week. The move is in response to the general ramping up of cyberattacks.

Plus, the FCC has launched a new mobile speed test app, HUD’s ConnectHomeUSA program has expanded to new communities, more states have seen their initial proposals for BEAD program funding accepted, and more.

Every one of these attacks is an outrage, disrupting commerce, threatening the prospects of otherwise healthy organizations and requiring lavish investments to harden systems against hacking.

Illinois has partnered with Google to launch a groundbreaking portal, aiming to streamline access to youth mental health services and break down agency silos. A project leader shared with Government Technology what they’ve learned in the process.

The Illinois IT Trainee Program, offering full-time paid training and a competitive salary, has snagged the attention of aspiring tech professionals, with thousands of people vying for a handful of positions.

The Illinois Senate has voted to make the appointments of the state CIO and Secretary of the Department of Innovation and Technology Sanjay Gupta, as well as Deputy CIO and Secretary Brandon Ragle, official.

The state and federal funding will drive deployment of high-speed Internet. The money, which comes in part from the American Rescue Plan Act, will be distributed by formula to unserved and underserved locations first.

Jason Bowen, an Army veteran who previously worked as a senior security executive for a private-sector consulting firm, has been hired as the state’s new chief information security officer to replace Adam Ford.

A $50 million donation from an alumnus will establish the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, which will be housed in a new building and likely include new classes and degree programs.

The university's partners in the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub committed funds to support seven different projects that aim to support the business of biomanufacturing in the region.

The Administrative Office of Illinois Courts has granted Lee County $1,016,623.10 in funds from the 2024 Illinois Court Technology Modernization Program.

The University of Illinois' Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory is the lead applicant in a regional consortium pursuing grant funding to train and equip biomanufacturing professionals.

The Illinois Community College Board has granted $9.4 million to institutions across the state to build up their programs for training students in EV technology and advanced manufacturing fields.