State and local governments – facing technology skills gaps and difficulties hiring and retaining talent – can be especially vulnerable to cyber threats. Increasingly complex network infrastructures add new cybersecurity challenges. In a recent interview with MeriTalk, Mike Lauer, national director of public sector at Fortinet and former chief technology architect for the state of Iowa, discusses how platform approaches coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) can give state and local governments the boost they need against threat actors. 

Cyberattacks on the Federal government and industry tend to dominate headlines and the public discourse. Yet state and local governments are increasingly in the cyber crosshairs as well: 97 percent of local government IT executives listed cybersecurity as a key priority for the current fiscal year, a recent survey found.

The general election in 2016 was a watershed moment for Federal, state, and local election officials.