The US government is one biggest government agencies in the world. However, because of its size, it has its own set of pitfalls. Some of them being, departments running on decades-old legacy systems, the lack of security, and lagging servers. This has hindered the government from doing its job. Thankfully, newly developed digital technologies are being integrated into the government systems, improving them for the better.
Millions of Americans rely on the US government, but many know how inefficient the government can be. From significant inquiries being ignored to the increasing backlogs of people applying for US citizenship, everyone knows how outdated the US government’s systems are.
Spending on IT Technology
IT technology used by the US government is outdated by any standards. It’s lagging compared to other governments, and it’s way behind if you compare it to the system used by the corporate world. It’s even struggling to replace the fragile 60-year-old system that some government departments are using.
Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) researched the legacy systems being used by the US government. Everyone was shocked to see that almost every department uses more than a decade old legacy systems, with some systems way beyond their operating period. Unfortunately, this means that most government systems are prone to failure, and it’s lucky that we haven’t experienced severe breakdowns.
Once this news came out, everyone was furious. People started to demand that the government update its legacy systems and transition to modern ones. This is why the US government has been spending well over $100 billion to improve its digital infrastructure. Ten critical departments, such as the Department of Defense, Department of Interior, and Department of the Treasury, are now implementing their modernization plans. More departments submit their plans for approval.
Better Databases
During the process of modernization, the US government requires better databases to store confidential data. One of the chosen databases is the SQL servers.
It has been many years since the government has chosen to use SQL servers for their data, and it’s quite clear that it will need some updates. Furthermore, the modernization process also means that the performance of these SQL servers will be tuned as per the needs of each department. Government databases are important for their daily functions. Once they are better tuned, the US government should experience increased efficiency.
When we talk about databases, we should also discuss the US government’s plans to implement blockchain into their infrastructure.
Blockchain
Blockchain is the next big thing that will transform the US government’s digital infrastructure. As stated earlier, there had been problems with the government’s database because of the legacy systems controlling it. However, with the integration of blockchain, such problems will be a thing of the past.
Currently, the government is exploring and experimenting with how blockchain is going to affect its infrastructure. For example, one of its exploratory studies is the security of each government file from different departments.
Security
The US government right now is using a centralized structure to store valuable government data. This includes personal records of each citizen living in the country. You might ask, what’s wrong with that?
In most centralized systems, all it needs for one breach is to access all the files stored within the system. This is problematic, and no one truly knows how much government data is out there, given that there had been multiple breaches in the past. Blockchain aims to change all that.
Blockchain is increasing the security of government data by making it move to a more decentralized system. This means that one breach will only give access to limited files, increasing the overall security of other data in the government’s infrastructure.
Transparency
Furthermore, illegal transactions can happen inside the government, which can be problematic if someone’s personal data can be sold. However, with blockchain technology, this will never be the case.
Illegal transactions can be listed down and remembered by a blockchain system. This means that any illegal transaction will be blocked immediately and reported to the people involved. It can then trace where the illegal transaction has happened, and an investigation can go underway.
This transparency makes the entire digital infrastructure much safer, especially for its citizens. Whatever information you’ll be giving to the government, you’ll be involved in where it goes and where they store it. But, most importantly, you’ll know who has access to it.
Digital tech plays a big role in daily government operations. So it’s great that it’s spending money on further improving it. Updating legacy systems, using better databases, and implementing blockchain in its digital infrastructure will only propel the US government into becoming one of the best governments in the world.
