ITS Tech Talk - May 30, 2024

Background

Microsoft has announced an upcoming update to the Teams product—which includes a change in its appearance to users.

The attached link provides more details about what you can expect: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/new-teams-whats-changing

Important Dates

Mar. 31st: The ‘new’ Teams client became the preferred Microsoft product version, and the ‘classic’ Teams client went into a stable, supported state.

The 'Try new teams' update slider is available for selected users. Users will be able to toggle between ‘new’ and ‘classic’ Teams clients until Jul. 1st.

Jul. 1st – The ‘classic’ Teams client will sunset, and any remaining legacy clients will be automatically updated to the 'new' Teams.

Awareness and Next Steps

ITS recommends users migrate to the new version over the next few weeks. Sign into conference room devices and upgrade the local Teams client there as well.

Please reach out to ITS Service Desk at 208.605.4000, or servicedesk@its.idaho.gov with any questions.

We all like and expect the convenience of WiFi wherever we go. And we expect the same in our work environment: secure, wireless, seamless connectivity anywhere we power-up our state-issued laptops. While this is a common service most people use and rely on, the actual technical configuration to make this work was not easy.

So how do you connect? Whenever you disconnect your laptop from a physical network cable, and your WiFi is enabled, your laptop should connect automatically. It’s that easy!

ITS plans to rolls this feature out to supported agencies over the next several months. Stay tuned!

ITS recently finished a complete redesign and rebuild of Correctional Industries’ (CI) network infrastructure. ITS reviewed CI's network and identified multiple design elements that presented severe, extensive, and unnecessary security risks. 

With the implementation of the ITS agency-wide prioritization process, this project was prioritized, and work began with discovery, interviews, discussions, and architectural design work. 

As part of a standardization effort, ITS used the redesign of CI’s network as the model for a standard agency network design. This took collaboration of several teams including Enterprise Architects, Network LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi, Network Core, Network Firewall, Security Operations, and CI staff. 

These collaborative working sessions produced a more streamlined network and a vastly improved state-of-the-art security posture.

Through statewide IT consolidation and modernization efforts, the ITS Enterprise Architecture team partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to facilitate the implementation of an AWS Connect cloud-based contact center.

This collaborative approach not only streamlined project implementation, but also enhanced the attractiveness for AWS to provide investment funding for complimentary services to help accelerate project success.

The choice to migrate to AWS Connect was motivated by ITD's vision to empower their call center operations with self-sufficiency, including:

• Reducing reliance on IT professionals or consultants for customizing call flows
• Customer interactions
• Reporting
• Flexibility to leverage more modern contact center features

Key attractions of AWS Connect:

• Integration with AWS Services: Enables agencies to leverage additional capabilities, such as chatbots, data storage, machine learning, and natural language processing, to enhance their contact center operations.
• AI-Powered Insights: By analyzing call transcripts, sentiment, and trends, agencies can better understand customer needs and improve service quality.
• Omnichannel Communication: Allows agencies to engage with customers through their preferred channels (voice, chat and email), providing a seamless and consistent experience across all touchpoints.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The platform is designed to handle high volumes of interactions, and offers flexible deployment options, including cloud-based and hybrid solutions.
• Customization and Personalization: Agencies can create dynamic call flows, design tailored interactions, and implement personalized routing strategies to meet the unique needs of their customers.

After a productive three-month engagement, ITD successfully launched their new contact center April 1st. 

The adoption of an AWS contact center helped establish a secure landing zone within AWS, serving as a foundational framework for the state, and how ITS delivers services to efficiently meet our customer needs.

The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Report sites that the median time for users to fall for phishing emails is less than 60 seconds. On average, the time to click on a malicious link after the email is opened is 21 seconds, with the user taking 28 seconds to enter their credentials.

ITS is working with the Division of Human Resources (DHR) on revamping redeploying the KnowBe4 phishing campaigns to drive down the number of phishing email clicks. The report indicates 20% of people who are sent a phishing email open it and 11% click on malicious links. We hope the KnowBe4 phishing education will help us reduce these numbers for State employees.

https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/infographics/2024-dbir-infographic.pdf

According to that same Verizon report, 68% of all data breaches involved a human element including:

• Settings misconfigurations
• Falling victim to social engineering attacks
• Giving up credentials to a hostile third party.

This number excludes people doing bad things on purpose.

The Governance, Risk and Compliance team works to address these factors by making sure that policies reflect current security best practices, audits look at current configurations against compliance standards and the known risks are documented, mitigated, and communicated.

https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/

https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T674/reports/2024-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf

This month we spotlight the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. The IRT is an ongoing joint effort between ITS and the Idaho National Guard (IDNG). ITS provides the IDNG Cyber Unit access to State of Idaho networks and resources that ITS maintains so IDNG can train in a real-world environment. In exchange, IDNG provides information they discover during the training to ITS in the form of a cybersecurity penetration test. 

This provides a trusted third-party assessment of vulnerabilities that a hostile third-party could take advantage of to attack the state. The IRT has expanded to involve students from the Boise State University (BSU) Cybersecurity program, providing real-life experience. 

The next IRT is scheduled in June and preparation is already underway. This is the third year ITS has received grant funding to host this event. In 2023, approximately six ITS employees, six BSU students, and 53 IDNG members participated. 

The estimated value of the services rendered during the two years the IRT has been in operation is $1.5 million. That represents the market value of the time spent by all of the participants if the State of Idaho was purchasing these services.

We have nearly completed the first full year using the suite of products called Luma. This has been and continues to be a monumental undertaking of the State Controller’s Office (SCO) and numerous state employees to replace antiquated and increasingly vulnerable finance, procurement, and human capital management systems that are critical to state operations.

Given the massive scope and complexity of this project, the first year has been a success. Vendors have been paid, employees have been paid, statewide budget cycles have happened, and many fundamental processes are working without issue. ITS understands the current implementation and initial use phase of this project. Within that context, we are functioning and working to do our part to make this transition successful for many years of benefit.

Certainly, there have been challenges and bugs to work through. The learning curve has been significant, but proficiency is growing. System improvements, training tools and functionality are progressing. We know these aspects would be part of any system transition.

Reporting capabilities continue to improve giving us a glimpse of the power of the new structure and opportunities that exist with this new information system.

We are grateful for the SCO/Luma teams that have been planning and developing this project for years. We are grateful for the collaboration and effort from other agency staff that have helped work through challenges and improve processes.

We are cautiously optimistic about getting through year-end processes and starting next year with the collection of improvements from year one.