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IT director outlines cybersecurity push, software initiatives and staffing realities
Summary
Ben Hansen told the assembly the borough IT department (13 FTEs) has doubled adoption of single sign-on/MFA, processed about 20,000 online exemptions without extra staff and is wrapping a cybersecurity assessment; he warned of software‑licensing inflation, AI-driven vulnerability discovery and rising memory costs.
Ben Hansen, the borough’s information-technology director, told the assembly that his 13-person IT team has expanded single sign-on and multifactor authentication across many borough systems, completed a fast-turnaround online process for $75,000 exemptions that handled about 20,000 applications with no added staff and is nearing completion of a third‑party cybersecurity assessment with penetration testing finished and an executive summary forthcoming.
Hansen said the IT shop’s mission is customer service and reliability across geographically dispersed facilities, and that the department is prioritizing two main 2027 initiatives: in‑house software development through the MyKPB platform and sunsetting legacy Unisys systems used for judgment and case tracking.
“The maintenance component ... we seek to find a solid middle ground, extremely reliable, robust infrastructure,” Hansen said, adding that the department aims to reduce unnecessary travel across the peninsula and to standardize equipment to enable cross‑training and resilience.
Hansen described the cybersecurity review as largely positive so far and said the next phase will shift toward governance — data and process governance — because “there are a lot of elements of cybersecurity that are not technology. It’s how people work.” He also warned of accelerating threats driven by AI, saying recent advances have made it easier for engines to identify long‑standing vulnerabilities and are increasing the pace of required patching.
On costs, he flagged long‑term pressures from software‑licensing inflation and rising memory/hardware prices tied to AI deployments. Hansen recommended hedging risk with in‑house development and open‑source tools where feasible. He said staffing remains competitive; the department focuses on flexibility, standardization and opportunities for staff to pursue areas of interest to limit turnover.
What comes next: an executive summary of the cybersecurity assessment will be provided to the assembly when available, and IT will continue to roll out MFA and increase MyKPB adoption for more borough processes.
