| MOST POPULAR NASCIO in a Time of COVID-19 The annual NASCIO conference took place this week, a virtual gathering of more than 50 chief information officers from states and territories around the country. GT staff tuned in and reported on each day’s flagship survey release, which highlighted cybersecurity efforts, approaches to emerging tech and evolving views on the role of the state CIO. All three, fielded in 2020, reflect a landscape heavily influenced by the changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cyberstrike Team Aims to Protect Colorado Elections County election officials are in the spotlight in the closing weeks before the Presidential election, as news outlets focus their coverage on potential impediments to a successfully conducted contest. One area of concern is the flood of disinformation that has proven to have real-world impacts on voter behavior. GT’s Lucas Ropek looked this week at a strike team in Colorado of national security specialists that are directing their expertise toward the disinformation threat and other cybervulnerabilities on and before election night. Leading Government Cyberefforts In another feature from the October issue of GT magazine, we profile several chief information security officers in state and local government, offering readers a glimpse into their paths and approaches to the job. Read more like this advice from Phoenix CISO Shannon Lawson, who used to hold the job in the state of Alaska: “Plan properly. Be prepared to drink from a fire hose at the deep end of an empty pool. Communicate and enjoy the ride.” Highway Exits, Supercharged An energy group at the University of Texas in Austin has identified some promising new real estate to host more than 100,000 acres of solar installations around the nation. Land surrounding exits from interstate highways is in fact now used to generate renewable energy in several states, and there’s room for much more. The study’s authors say it was intended to demonstrate to policymakers the potential of these sites in their jurisdictions. | 