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ITS Monthly Newsletter - Feb. 2025
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 I don’t think I would be exaggerating to say that it’s rarely a sprint, but more of a marathon when it comes to supporting, building, and executing the number of projects and initiatives ITS is part of. This would not be possible without collaboration from the agencies and offices we work with.
In our quarterly external newsletter, we try to highlight those partnerships and give you a glimpse into what ITS is working on.
Thank you for sharing your support, and as always if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to me.
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At ITS, our team is preparing to welcome upwards of 22 new employees as part of Phase 5 Modernization. In June, Idaho State Police and the Department of Juvenile Corrections will join ITS, marking the second to last phase of consolidation. This puts us one step closer to meeting Governor Brad Little’s vision for IT consolidation in Idaho.
This would not be possible without countless hours of planning and coordination by our Project Team and open dialogue and conversation with our agency partners. As demonstrated last year, many lessons learned were gleaned during Phases 1-3 and helped guide a successful consolidation in 2024. I am hopeful 2025 will be just as successful if not even more so.
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With the topic of AI garnering more attention every day and agencies seeking guidance from us, ITS is developing framework now. As our recent AI survey to state employees highlighted, approximately a quarter of state employees are using AI without controls in place, creating a sense of urgency in the state. Once AI framework is developed, it will go before the Idaho Technology Authority for review and action within the next several months.
The goal is that between the legislative AI working group and ITA feedback, a policy will be developed for Idaho agencies. Without it, Idaho risks falling behind.
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HSSO
In November, the Governor’s Office requested a new office be set up and ready to go for the Health and Social Services Ombudsman (HSSO). It was a very fast request and turnaround, and ITS jumped into action to make it happen. This effort included:
- Gather details from the Governor’s Office, Health & Welfare, and other partners
- Email set up and added to Active Directory
- Order equipment
- Build agency website
- Secure software licenses
- VPN access
- Multi-factor authentication (Duo) set up
The teamwork and effort is a testament to how when confronted with a timeline, limited information, and resources, ITS gets the job done.
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Recently I sat down with e-Republic and its publication GovTech for a conversation and interview about several topics including consolidation, AI governance, cybersecurity, citizen engagement and more.
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On the cybersecurity front, I recently presented at the Idaho Office of Emergency Management Annual Preparedness and Cybersecurity Conference in Boise. Joining Governor Brad Little and other state and federal IT professionals, the event focused on the cyber landscape, security, and trends. While these events might seem similar in nature, cybersecurity remains a top priority and interest across Idaho.
Photo credit: IOEM
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ITS has been managing a “Grave Locator” application that helps visitors at the Veterans Cemetery in Boise to find the graves of their loved ones.
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We are pleased to share our 2024 Annual Report with you. In it, you will find highlights which tell our story, including some pretty impressive statistics.
This is a testament to the work ITS is doing and continues to build upon. This would not be possible without support from Governor Little, agency partners and legislative support.
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The Division of Human Resources recently launched their new website joining several other agencies that have revamped their sites to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards and enhanced functionality for users. ITS continues to work with agencies as they upgrade their current websites. The Department of Administration also upgraded their website, providing a user-friendly interface to the services it offers.
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We have recently updated our ITS Historical document that shares the history of this agency. This fact sheet is located on our website.
Additionally, as ITS continues its consolidation journey, with three more agencies joining us before completion in 2026, ITS has created a Phases of Modernization document. All of these documents are located under the About section on its.idaho.gov.
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ITS assumed responsibility for technology support for the Idaho Military Division, which includes the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy (IDYCA).
A team of ITS engineers visited recently IDYCA to gain a deeper understanding of its operations and document technology needs.
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Liquor Division and ITS Partnership
Did you know that ITS has a Liquor store on the Chinden Campus in Building 8? A full production replica of a State Liquor store, complete with “inventory” and a cash drawer is located in the Application Development team area.
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 CYBERSECURITY ASSESSMENT
OF THE MONTH
Idaho State Police
ISP has taken the initiative to refine their security tools, identify gaps, and improve their security posture.
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 CYBERSECURITY FOCUS
OF THE MONTH
Artificial Intelligence
As we adopt AI technologies, we must consider the information and data that AI has access to.
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CYBERSECURITY SHOUTOUT OF THE MONTH
Sgt. Anthony Toronto
The Cybersecurity team would like to acknowledge Sergeant Anthony Toronto from the Idaho Army National Guard (IDARNG).
Several users have reached out to let us know that they are frustrated with using Duo for multifactor authentication. Issues include authenticating more or less than expected. We heard you and developed this Q&A.
Question 1: What is Duo?
Answer 1: Duo is a multifactor authentication (MFA) tool created by Cisco
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This month, we celebrate Ada County for engaging with ITS to conduct two After Action Reviews (AAR) related to a cyber incident in July which affected the County Automated Dispatch (CAD) system for roughly a week. Both AARs have provided valuable lessons learned that will be used to improve cyber resilience and dispatch operations in Ada County. They will also be shared with Idaho counties and cities to consider for adoption.
Brian Reed, Ada County Sheriff’s Office Captain Zachary Walls, Jerred Edgar, Matt Aslett, Ada County CIO Stephen O’Meara, and Sam Montiel
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Did you know ITS has a form to capture requirements for agency IT project requests?
Coordinate with your agency IT liaison if you have a project on the horizon.
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ITS FY 2026 Budget
Governor Brad Little presented his State of the State address, with a focus on larger initiatives, including an increased investment in cybersecurity.
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