The National Association of Counties, an organization founded in 1935 that advocates for counties in the U.S., and the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute focused on technology practices and policies, have honored Westchester County for its digital policies and practices. Westchester was ranked as one of the top 10 counties in the country for digital among those of one million or more population in the 20th annual digital survey conducted by the two organizations.
Westchester ranked number eight in the U.S. in its population category while King County in Washington state was first.
Dutchess County also was recognized in the digital survey. Dutchess was ranked fifth in its population category of 250,000 to 499,999.
The 2022 Digital Counties Survey was conducted to identify who is using the best technology practices in a number of areas, including initiatives that streamline service delivery, encourage collaboration, enhance cybersecurity and apply innovation to achieving county priorities. All counties in the U.S. were invited to participate in the survey, which began in April.
Marguerite Beirne, Westchester County”™s information technology commissioner, said, “We are well positioned to tackle any new challenges that come our way and will continue to build on this accomplishment moving forward.”
Among the steps taken by Westchester that the organizations praised were:
- A reorganization of the Department of Information Technology that created new cybersecurity-focused job titles and a comprehensive list of IT projects to share with the administration;
- An order by County Executive George Latimer creating a Task Force on Cybersecurity, supported by a working group that meets regularly;
- Putting in place browser isolation technology that keeps web browsing activity separate from the rest of the network.
Latimer noted, “In today”™s modern world, governments must protect themselves from any number of cyber threats stemming from bad actors both near and far.”
Westchester and Dutchess were the only New York state counties recognized for digital achievements. No counties in Connecticut were ranked in the top 10 of any population category for digital technology practices and policies.
