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County unveils redesigned website; IT contractor reports security and backup improvements
Summary
Owen County launched a rebuilt WordPress website and an IT contractor reported fixes to email flow, improved backups and firewall access; staff said they will form an IT committee and continue testing ADA accessibility.
Owen County officials said Monday that the county website has been rebuilt and launched on a WordPress platform with mobile-friendly navigation, searchable agendas and improved hosting. County contractors reported several IT security and operational improvements, including reconciling email services, consolidating backups and gaining access to the county firewall.
Why it matters: Officials said the upgrade addresses accessibility, searchability and long-standing email and backup issues. County staff told the commissioners the changes will reduce recurring costs, improve recovery options and support cybersecurity insurance requirements.
Details: Outside contractors and county IT staff said they had identified an email routing problem, moved to a consolidated hosting and backup arrangement (including an offsite business‑grade backup solution), and secured access to a state-provided firewall device. Web designer David Martin said he migrated department pages from an older platform and created redirects; he will provide staff training and a request form for ongoing edits. Contractors said an external disaster‑recovery plan still needs formal documentation and recommended an IT committee to oversee continuity and incident response.
Accessibility and next steps: Staff said they aim to make the site ADA compliant and will test accessibility tools and plug-ins; they also plan staff training so departments can maintain content. Commissioners directed staff to form an IT committee and to produce a disaster‑recovery plan and quarterly reviews of IT operations.
Ending: County officials said the website relaunch and IT work should reduce costs and improve service continuity; staff said they will provide training and a documented recovery plan in coming weeks.
