Overview

August 17

As the November elections approach, state and local governments throughout the country must confront the challenges and complexities of securing elections in the age of COVID-19. Above all, electoral integrity must be maintained and the public must be confident in the process.

As voters look to absentee ballots to avoid health risks posed by the pandemic, governments will need to overcome the challenges of an expanded mail-in voting process – including additional expenses and the need for more hardware and personnel. Most state and local governments do not currently have adequate resources to deal with these issues.

Join Government Technology on August 17 at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. eastern for a timely and informative conversation as our panel of experts discusses how government agencies can implement proven techniques for risk management and think about how they can spend smarter on IT solutions that will deliver both efficiency and security.

Why COVID-19 heightens existing problems and brings new challenges into the electoral process
How to deal with COVID-driven changes in resources and requirements
How to apply risk management and do more with less

Speakers

Jim Richberg

CISO, Fortinet

Jim Richberg’s role as a Fortinet CISO leverages his 30+ years’ experience leading and driving innovation in cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and cyber strategy & policy for the US Government and international partners. Prior to joining Fortinet, he served as the National Intelligence Manager for Cyber, the senior Federal Executive focused on cyber intelligence within the $80B+/100,000 employee US Intelligence Community (IC). He led creation and implementation of cyber strategy for the 17 departments and agencies of the IC, set integrated priorities on cyber threat, and served as Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on cyber issues. He brings a broad enterprise-level approach to cybersecurity honed as a member of the Executive team which created and oversaw implementation of the multi-billion dollar whole-of-government Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) that generated new Government cyber capability and enhanced cybersecurity in the private sector and critical infrastructure. Mr. Richberg’s broad operational experience –including his 20 years at CIA-- gives him practical insight into difficult cyber problems ranging from advanced threat capabilities to supply chain integrity and election security. He has extensive experience engaging with audiences ranging from Heads of State and CEO’s to analysts and IT staff. He brings a strong focus on strategic problem solving (identify and solve the key problem vs. the most visible one) and on framing complex problems in comprehensible terms that facilitate analysis and formulation of solutions.

Tim Sandage

Senior Security Partner Strategist, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Tim Sandage is a senior security partner strategist for Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he is responsible for global strategic alignment of AWS cloud computing services with current and future compliance capabilities as well as external consulting with AWS customers, public policy organizations, and standard bodies across the globe. Tim is an active public speaker on secure cloud adoption at both internal and external workshops, conferences, and hands-on labs (boot camps) and a community advocate for organization using and promoting cloud technologies. Previously, Tim worked as a consultant supporting secure adoption of cloud services across multiple cloud services providers, such as Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and HP. Tim’s work included the development of secure cloud computing practices, risk assessments, and secure/complaint cloud computing adoption. Tim has an extensive US federal government security background with over 25 years of service in the US Air Force running regional classified and unclassified military networks. Tim is the past president of the ISACA, Puget Sound Chapter in Seattle, WA, and holds multiple certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Phoenix.

Phil Bertolini — Moderator

Co-Executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Phil Bertolini is the Co-Director of the Center for Digital Government (CDG), a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Previously, he served as deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland County, Michigan. During his 31-year tenure, Phil built a world-class IT organization in the second-largest county in Michigan, just north of Detroit. As Oakland County CIO, he oversaw more than 150 employees serving over 1.2 million residents. In 2005, he was also promoted to deputy county executive, holding dual positions until his retirement. Phil’s efforts earned the county national attention, winning numerous awards for technology innovation and excellence. He was named one of Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year and Government Technology Magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers. He was also honored by the President Obama White House as a Champion of Change for 2012.

Webinar

Voting in the Age of COVID-19: Preparing for 2020 Elections