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County Government Case Study: Cuming County, Nebraska
- Cuming County Courthouse
- West Point, Nebraska
Services
- Managed IT & Cyber Security Solutions
- Secure wifi networks
- Unified phone system
- Physical security
- Low voltage cabling
Case Study
In early 2020, Lisa Hunke accepted a part-time position as the Information Technology Coordinator for Cuming County in West Point, Nebraska. She and other members of the IT team quickly realized the county IT systems and cyber security posture faced some serious vulnerabilities.
Hunke reached out to Applied Connective Technologies on a referral from another Nebraska county customer who expressed appreciation of Applied Connective’s service. The team requested information and quotes from other managed technology services providers (MTSPs) as well, focused on selecting the most qualified and fitting team to accommodate their needs and their budget.
Suddenly, the pandemic hit.
Along with the rest of the world, Cuming County was suddenly faced with the reality of continuing daily operations while prioritizing the health and safety of the public and county employees. The onset of Covid turned out to be a pivotal point in their decision-making process. Hunke states she was both surprised and impressed when Applied Connective’s company president Ed Knott reached out to her personally to offer assistance, even though the county had not yet officially selected a MTSP. Ed offered to equip Cuming County with the resources necessary for county employees and officials to work in a secure work-from-home environment should the need arise.
They quickly took him up on his offer.
Within days, each County office was provided with the necessary and appropriate technology solutions to work remotely (and securely) without skipping a beat.
According to Hunke, that experience sealed the deal for Cuming County and their trust in Applied Connective took root. Shortly thereafter, the decision to commit to partnering exclusively with Applied Connective was finalized.
Partnership
Quickly, Hunke began to understand the magnitude of the county’s vulnerability as Applied Connective’s IT experts explained the imminent threats that loomed—it was no longer a question of “if” but “when.” It was during these conversations that Hunke noticed something different about the Applied Connective approach: they took the time to really listen and understand the needs and concerns of the people so they could make informed and intentional decisions about the technologies that would best support Cuming County. Understanding that change is often met with resistance, Hunke appreciated Applied Connective’s patience and professionalism while taking time to explain the validity and importance of their IT recommendations.
“Many of our employees are unsure about new technology and struggle to understand the need for change,” remarked Hunke. “Ed, Will, and the whole team have been patient with us, thorough when explaining benefits and recommendations, and strategic in planning transitions that flowed smoothly, focused on streamlining for ease and simplicity…and on education so that we would be more knowledgeable moving forward.”
As Applied Connective’s leaders assessed the needs of Cuming County’s government offices, a few areas were identified as being in most urgent need of attention.
Offices utilized their own independent internet connections.
• The issue: Over time, individual county offices had established internet service and wireless access independent of other offices, resulting in multiple county service agreements with internet service providers. Some of the connections were secure, some were not. Some offices had no wireless capabilities at all. Sharing of Wifi with guests risked compromising the security of the network. Multiple bills from internet providers were processed by the county each month. Multiple independent agreements within the county resulted in unnecessary expense and poor security.
• The solution: Consolidate into one fiber internet connection to support all offices in the county government to provide:
• Significant cost savings
• One bill to manage
• A simplified system
• Managed protection against cyber security breaches
• The result: By securely consolidating the networks, all offices enjoyed a far superior internet usage experience, far greater security, and collectively, the courthouse saved money. They now sleep easier, confident that their systems and data are being protected from ever-evolving and -increasing cyber security threats thanks to a centrally managed firewall. Plus, when a guest comes into their building and needs to use their internet, a guest network is used to allow secure, segregated access—protecting both the guest and the county government.
Offices had their own independent phone system.
• The issue: Several departments had purchased their own phones to be used as the primary phones for that office. In doing so, these users were unable to transfer calls
between offices, place interoffice/intercom calls to other employees, receive voicemail notifications via email, etc. Utilization of these independent phone systems was inefficient and frustrating, not to mention expensive.
• The solution: Applied Connective sat down with each county government office to assess what they had, what they liked, and what they wished could happen with their phone systems. Then they provided a centralized modern phone system that was the best option to support their needs.
• The result: There were significant cost savings on the phone bills, but more importantly, they were upgraded to a much more efficient, intuitive, and modern system. Applied Connective sat with each department to ensure they understood the new equipment and how to use it to its fullest potential.
Employees were utilizing unsecure email accounts, which left their accounts vulnerable.
• The issue: Several county employees were utilizing email accounts that offered minimal security, leaving important data susceptible to security breaches, such as credential compromise and phishing.
• The solution: County governments are eligible to utilize .gov email addresses that are more secure. Applied Connective migrated all emails and set up systems in Microsoft 365 to ensure better collaboration and email security. They then trained staff to use the systems and enabled MFA (multi-factor authentication).
• The result: Far more secure systems that allow for peace of mind and compliance with the State of Nebraska and cyber insurance requirements.
Conclusion
Many county governments across the state of Nebraska operate on clunky, outdated systems that leave vulnerable the data of their residents, people, and employees. Often, they don’t realize how vulnerable they are until it’s too late, and breaches can be devastating. Understandably, many offices find state and federal government compliance measures to be overwhelming to navigate. Partnering with nearly 40 Nebraska county governments now, Applied Connective understands what a county government needs to be secure and efficient, operating seamlessly and cost-effectively together.
Applied Connective goes the extra mile to build a custom solution that meets county governments where they’re at and develops a plan to help them move in a better direction with state-of-the-art but simple-to-use solutions.
Knowledge is power. If you’re unsure where to start, Applied Connective offers a free, no-obligation technology consultation and would be happy to attend your next county board meeting to discuss and share recommendations. The majority of our county government clients invite us to their board meetings to ensure they are up to date on state and federal regulations and to develop plans for integrating changes locally.