As organizations in the public sector continue to undergo what Deloitte has called a “radical transformation” and embrace new, innovative technologies, they’re seeing improvements in everything from agility to customer experience. And, the good news is that innovation tends to breed more innovation, meaning the digital transformation of the last two decades laid the groundwork for the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI).
And yet, innovation is not without its challenges, including the need to handle increasingly large, complex, and sensitive data sets, in addition to a growing number of devices, applications, services, and tools. That’s why compliance is evolving alongside technology—and why it remains of the utmost importance for public sector agencies.
The Evolving Regulatory Landscape
Organizations in the public sector (or any sector, for that matter) must ensure compliance to protect their data, avoid litigation and fines, and maintain constituent trust. A broad swath of regulatory frameworks exist and continue to evolve. From the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which applies to federal agencies and infrastructure organizations, to GDPR, which affects any public sector organizations handling the personal data of EU citizens, public sector agencies have a variety of IT requirements to consider, particularly as data privacy becomes more top-of-mind for the public and regulators alike.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework, for one, outlines best practices related to identifying, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents. HIPAA, meanwhile, requires the safeguarding of electronic protected health information (ePHI). And GDPR, as mentioned, protects personal information ranging from contact details to IP addresses.
At the same time, new regulations are always likely, particularly considering the emerging need for proper governance of the large-language models that power AI. President Biden issued an executive order about AI development last year, and the EU and UK have introduced their own frameworks, signaling coming regulations pertaining to AI.
Once again, the stakes around compliance are extremely high, as non-compliance can lead to legal, financial, and reputational damage for public sector organizations. But while digital transformation is impacting the regulatory landscape, tools like AI can also help organizations maintain transparency, accountability, and security—even and especially as the regulatory bar gets raised. However, not all AI is the same and considerations must be made for AI and LLM access, boundaries, and use cases to protect data and increase accuracy of AI insights.
How ScienceLogic Helps Agencies Stay Ahead of Compliance
The biggest hurdles to data security for public sector agencies are the complexity of regulations, the persistence of legacy systems, reliance on disparate tools, and a lack of visibility into data and networks. The fact that compliance requirements are changing rapidly is simply the cherry on top. By leveraging AI and machine learning (ML) to automate and enhance compliance, organizations are better equipped to stay ahead of the curve.
In simplest terms, the ScienceLogic AI Platform uses AI and ML to deliver broad observability into system operations, so agencies know how everything is running and where their data lays. This is crucial. If you don’t know where your data is, it’s impossible to protect it. The platform’s holistic observability offers real-time visibility into system statuses, simplifies device auditing, and detects policy violations to help streamline the efforts necessary to remain compliant. Such visibility makes audits far easier. When audits are performed manually and retroactively, it’s extremely time-consuming and resource intensive.
The platform also proactively identifies patterns to identify both known and unknown issues, then contextualizes information using telemetry with the Skylar Automated Root Cause Analysis capability to show impact and root cause. This capability can process enormous volumes of log messages in real-time using machine learning, with no manual training required.
Finally, partnering with IT companies for specialized compliance support can offer additional peace of mind. ScienceLogic is secure by design, and we have a “Trust Center” of information and documentation to prove it.
The Bottom Line
Altogether, government agencies are in the midst of one of the largest digital transformations we’ve ever seen. While there’s a lot of exciting progress underway, challenges—such as vast data sets, limited visibility, increasingly complex IT environments, and new tools—persist. At the same time, new regulations are tightening security and privacy protocols.
To succeed in this landscape, public sector agencies must prioritize data compliance and privacy through trainings, awareness programs, and regular audits. While such efforts may sound daunting of cumbersome, they don’t have to be. By leveraging IT solutions like the ScienceLogic AI Platform, agencies can supercharge their digital transformation to streamline and automate key compliance processes. The ScienceLogic platform was designed to meet the rigorous security requirements of the Department of Defense and was the first end-to-end monitoring platform to confirmed to the federal government’s security and operability standards.
We’re also closely attuned to the ever-evolving regulatory landscape and prioritize adaptable compliance frameworks so our platform can easily accommodate future changes. As both technology and regulations evolve, ScienceLogic will continue to prioritize the security and compliance of its platform through constant assessments, testing, and improvements.
Learn more about how the ScienceLogic AI Platform can help your compliance efforts, today and down the line.