City Teams with Tyler Technologies to Address Cybersecurity
Presentation made as part of National League of Cities Capstone Challenge
Alexandria, La. – (Feb. 22, 2022) – Working to improve the cybersecurity culture within the City of Alexandria, the City partnered with public software provider Tyler Technologies to provide cybersecurity and awareness training.
The partnership was created as part of the Capstone Challenge initiative by the National League of Cities. The Capstone Challenge was a six-month pilot program beginning in June of 2021 that facilitated partnerships between cities and enterprise partners to create innovative solutions to benefit the member cities. A total of 17 cities and eight companies participated in the initial program. Topics covered include access to city services, retail needs, law enforcement training, mobility services, broadband access, and transportation issues as they relate to access to COVID vaccine.
Alexandria chose to focus on cybersecurity. As the enterprise partner, Tyler Technologies, based in Plano, Texas, provided several hours of training focusing on people, processes and technology.
“Cybersecurity is a philosophy. It has to be taken into consideration at every level of an organization if it’s going to work well,” explained Gary Soucy, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor with Tyler Technologies. “It’s not something that can be bolted on, it has to be baked into an organization’s mindset.”
City of Alexandria Information Systems Manager Greg Able said, “Cybersecurity is an ongoing process as new and more sophisticated threats to data systems are developed every day. We appreciate the opportunity to work with partners like Tyler Technologies to help us better identify risks and improve our existing cybersecurity program.”
Documentation of policies and practices is one of the key areas Soucy said the training encouraged. He noted many organizations have IT Leaders with a solid practical knowledge of cybersecurity practices. However, when those experienced people leave, that knowledge disappears with them if it has not been well documented.
Soucy added cybersecurity is more than protecting data. “You have to protect the people – not just the information but the people themselves. You have to make sure the building is secure and that employees are safe and that you have the right technologies and processes in place to ensure their safety,” he said.
“After working with Tyler Technologies, the City of Alexandria got a better understanding of its cyber readiness,” said Mayor Jeff Hall. “To build on its existing cybersecurity program, the City learned ways to improve awareness and culture among its employees. The National League of Cities is a tremendous resource for Alexandria, and we are grateful for their partnership.”
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About Tyler Technologies
Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, with offices throughout the United States, Canada and the Philippines, is dedicated to working with its public sector clients to build safe, vibrant communities. Partnering with government and schools to deliver the best technology solutions is its passion. The company has decades of experience providing software and services – beginning its exclusive focus on the public sector in 1997. The company notes public sector software is not just what we do, it’s all we do. Learn more at www.tylertech.com.
About the National League of Cities Capstone Challenge
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing
more than 200 million people. The NLC Capstone Challenge Series is a pilot program designed to connect the strengths of its Capstone and Enterprise private sector partners with the motivated local leaders of NLC members to create solutions for member needs. In the 2021 inaugural cohort, eight strategic partners worked with 17 member cities on relevant projects. Participating cities include: Alexandria, LA., Broadview, IL., Butte-Silver Bow, MT., Cedar Rapides, IA., Columbia, SC., Dublin, OH., Houston, TX., Jackson, TN., Madison, WI., New Orleans, LA., North Lauderdale, FL., Phoenix, AZ., Purcellville, VA., St. Louis, MO., South Bend, IN, Sunland Park NM., and Washington, D.C. Participating strategic partners include: Accela, Amazon, Axon, Enterprise Holdings, ESRI, Polco, Tyler Technologies, and Uber. Learn more at www.nlc.org/initiative/capstone-challenge-series/.
Media Contacts:
Tyler Technologies
Seb Guerriero
(800)-772-2260 x6113
seb.guerriero@tylertech.com
City of Alexandria
Jim Smilie
(318)-449-5038 (Office)
(318)-730-1683 (Cell)
jim.smilie@cityofalex.com
