Idaho Finance Department requests six positions to bolster IT, cybersecurity and investigations

The Department of Finance told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 21 that it is seeking six full‑time positions and one‑time capital outlay totaling $816,600 from state regulatory funds to expand IT examination and investigation capacity.

The request, presented by Noah Peterson of the Legislative Services Office and discussed with Department Director Patty Perkins, would add an IT examiner, two financial examiners, two financial investigator 3 positions with IT focus, and a securities cyber‑specialist and forensic accounting examiner. The agency also requested $52,600 for Office of Information Technology Services‑recommended hardware (laptops, docking stations and portable field monitors). The governor recommended the requests except for the two financial investigator 3 positions for the Consumer Finance Bureau.

The enhancement matter matters because the Department of Finance enforces Idaho statutes and rules over state‑chartered financial institutions, non‑depository consumer finance businesses and securities activity. Director Patty Perkins told the committee the department has seen “a huge increase in cybercrime” and that the elderly are a particular target. Perkins said the agency is working with Idaho State Police and prosecutors and relies on specialized tools (including systems ISP has purchased) to follow illicit transfers, particularly where crypto or cross‑jurisdictional transfers are involved.

The enhancement package breaks down as ongoing costs for six FTPs and personnel salaries (examples given by the agency included $121,300 for two examiner positions at salary grade P and $82,500 for investigator roles at grade M). The request is funded from the department’s state regulatory funds; Peterson noted the department’s three dedicated funds include the state regulatory fund (which covers nearly all operations), a mortgage recovery fund and a securities investing/training fund, each of which has statutory limits on administrative use (the mortgage recovery and securities training funds are statutorily limited to $50,000 of use per year for certain activities).

Senators asked for concrete data to justify the new positions. Senator Wintrow said she had heard from department staff about an increase in scams targeting elderly Idahoans and described the proposed hires as “a really good investment.” Senator Cook asked for measurable workload data and outcomes so the committee could evaluate return on investment. Director Perkins said the department will provide additional information to the committee and described partnerships with ISP and prosecutors to “follow the money.”

No formal vote or appropriation occurred during the hearing; the presentation was a budget review and questions and the governor’s recommendation was noted in the packet. Committee leadership also announced at the start of the session that final budget setting for several agencies has been delayed because the committee had not reached consensus on a CEC recommendation and a health‑insurance benefits issue; several agencies agreed to accelerate presentations later in the week.

The Department of Finance historically spends a high share of its appropriation (the analyst reported an average expenditure rate of about 92.5% over recent fiscal years) and the agency described recent hires and changes: three positions added in 2024 (a mortgage examiner, a public outreach specialist and a securities technician), consolidation of HR into a central division, and a net gain of two FTPs in 2024 overall.

Director Perkins agreed to provide the committee with more specific incident and workload data to support the requested positions.