Because DMC serves multiple municipalities and city governments as co-managed customers, we understand the complexities of ensuring efficient, secure, and modern IT governance to support administration operations and public services.
Municipalities, townships and local governments carry the significant responsibility of ensuring the security and integrity of data to protect citizens and efficiently provide services.
As with any industry, the “operating system” that allows these community organizations to serve their constituents involves network infrastructure, software, communication systems and cybersecurity measures, all of the traditional elements of a modern IT ecosystem.
However, many townships and local city governments are spread thin and lack internal IT staff or expert resources to manage this burden. After all, the focus is on serving residents in a wide range of capacities, from public safety to city services like maintaining parks. But IT systems are the core of any operation, and these organizations have many of the same needs as other businesses and some specific requirements.
When DMC Technology Group partners with a township, municipality or local government, we like to perform a tech audit and assessment to determine risky IT gaps, such as using a single admin account that logs into each device and caches credentials.
Because DMC serves multiple municipalities as co-managed customers who enlist in support, we understand the complexities of ensuring efficient, secure and modern IT governance to support administration operations and public services. Here are some ways DMC takes the load off managing IT for Ohio townships and municipalities.
Understanding IT vulnerabilities is the first step in establishing a stopgap cybersecurity strategy. First, is the existing IT security infrastructure working? We perform disaster recovery tests to find out, along with security and vulnerability testing. Then, we help Ohio municipalities establish and implement threat detection and prevention protocols, and incident response and recovery plans. This includes data encryption and addressing user authentication. For example, a general best practice we make sure is in place is using LAPS (Local Admin Password Solution).
Specific to the public sector, we often help set up MDT (Mobile Data Terminals) for police and EMS units to protect those life-saving and public safety terminals and workstations. If malicious activity is recognized, an alert is dispatched and immediate action is taken to head off a breach.
Many municipalities and public sector clients benefit from Arctic Wolf Incident Response (IR) retainer partnerships and IR builders, which are software tools that help IT partners respond to and recover from cyber attacks, data loss and service outages. When you’re serving a community and its citizens, you can’t risk downtime.
>>Case Study: A township administrator had an incident on Thanksgiving evening. DMC’s cybersecurity tools locked down the server automatically. There was no cybersecurity incident response plan in place. They called their insurer and other companies to respond, but it took a few hours and yielded no results. However, if they had an Arctic Wolf IR retainer with guaranteed rates and a one-hour response service-level agreement with a plan in place, they would not have to adjust on the fly. Arctic Wolf has a copy of the plan so they can quickly respond.
Just-in-time IT break-fix decisions are costly and present a tremendous security risk. Software licensing updates can fall through the cracks. Cloud migration is put on the back burner because there’s no one in-house to manage the process. On-premise server and firewall updates are unintentionally overlooked because everyday municipal business takes precedence. But these IT musts add up to big expenses when not planned for, and municipalities are budgeting taxpayer dollars.
Lack of IT strategic planning and budgeting can result in damaging cybersecurity threats, outdated hardware, and not enough earmarked dollars to secure systems and prepare for the future.
Proactive technology planning also includes Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) services to safeguard a municipality and stakeholders from spoofing and to ensure reliable email delivery from trusted sources.
>>Case Study: At one village, the administrator couldn’t figure out why all their emails to @yahoo addresses were failing. They didn’t realize that DKIM implementation was essential. How would you know unless you had a trusted IT co-managed services partner?
Your No. 1 priority as an Ohio municipality, township or local government is to serve the people. We take the same approach at DMC, serving the public sector and a range of industries that require IT support. By introducing services such as LastPass Password Management or offering KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, we act as the IT public safety officer for your operation.
Just as you’re testing emergency response systems, DMC Technology Group is performing readiness assessments. For example, when a police department wanted to learn whether its headquarters was a fit for the Cloud or if an on-prem server needed to be refreshed, we conducted a full audit and determined the file types should live on an on-prem server because the local phone system that relies on this infrastructure.
>>Case Study: While a police department was better served with an on-prem server, the fire department engaged in a project with DMC to successfully migrate to the Cloud. We leveraged the benefits of their Microsoft 365 licensing and moved an on-site server and domain management to Entra ID, SharePoint Online and OneDrive. Now, they will not have to worry about protecting or supporting their on-prem server, alleviating an IT management burden.
At DMC, we are constantly tracking system performance, identifying bottlenecks, and making necessary adjustments to ensure that your IT environment continues to meet strategic goals.
Ready to get started? DMC’s expertise and industry knowledge can help your Ohio or Michigan local municipality, township or local government develop and execute a robust IT strategy with your efficient operations and citizens’ security in mind. Let’s talk tech.
