News

The two-week commentary period for public input on the North Dakota Broadband Grant Program ends today. This is the last day the North Dakota Information Technology Department will have the submission form open.

If you would like to make a comment on the ND Broadband Grant Program please go to:  CPF Grant Program Comments and Feedback (office.com)

The North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department will be holding a virtual meeting regarding the Broadband North Dakota grant program this afternoon. NDIT invites the public and stakeholders to participate in a live virtual public input meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. CT.

NDIT is soliciting public comments and/or questions regarding the plan and application process, the draft policy will be made available for a 14-day public comment period – Sept. 16 – Sept. 30 - regarding the plan and the application process. Go to: Broadband Public Comments  

North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley and NDIRF CEO Brennan Quintus today announced a rate reduction for NDIRF members that implement the following cybersecurity services and practices: cyber maturity assessment, antimalware software, and vulnerability scanning services. The services are provided by the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department at no cost to North Dakota cities, counties, and school districts. 

Each NDIRF member may receive up to a four percent (4%) liability rate reduction by implementing the cyber tools. 

North Dakota received $45 million in American Rescue Plan coronavirus aid to boost broadband infrastructure in the state. North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department is seeking feedback on both the proposed plan for the deployment of new broadband infrastructure for communities with limited or no access, and the application process to obtain the grants to help fund this buildout.   

The State of North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced the upcoming Cyber Madness Middle School tournaments. The North Dakota Middle School Cyber Madness tournament is a two-round challenge designed for, and open to, all ND middle school students. Students will work in teams of four to solve a variety of cybersecurity challenges. Round one will be held virtually and conducted statewide on Oct. 28.  Prior experience with cybersecurity is not required for participation. Students will be provided instruction and resources with our partners from CYBER.ORG, who are moderating the event.

North Dakota Information Technology Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced the first state-developed digital credential publishing application for high school transcripts as a verifiable credential. It allows any high school graduate to present their transcript to an educational institution or employer digitally. Users of the technology can have all their degrees, certifications, badges and skills located in one accessible and secure location.

North Dakota State Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced additional state governments have signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to join the Joint-Cybersecurity Operations Command Center (J-CSOC), nearing a total of 20% of states in the nation agreeing to participate in this endeavor. The J-CSOC, founded by North Dakota, is the first in the country to establish, facilitate and accommodate direct state-to-state sharing of cyber threat intelligence.  

Gov. Doug Burgum today announced an expanded partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy skills-to-job program called Skills for All that will be available to all residents in North Dakota.

North Dakota is the first state in the nation to provide these courses statewide at no cost to all residents. The Cisco Networking Academy Skills for All program provides free, quality, mobile, self-paced, online learning aligned to industry jobs, providing a pathway to a career in technology. There are numerous courses, badging and industry certifications available, with an emphasis on cybersecurity, along with coding, networking essentials, Internet of Things (IoT) and other technology-focused courses. 

North Dakota Health Information Technology Director Dr. Shila Blend today announced the North Dakota Health Information Network (NDHIN) has posted training videos for the Advanced Directive available to the public. The tutorials can be viewed at: ND Health Care Directive Registry Training | NDHIN | North Dakota Health Information Network 

The ND Health Care Directive Registry is an easily accessible electronic location to store health care directive records and replace outdated versions with the most up-to-date version. It is also available anywhere, no matter where the patient is located. Often, when people travel, their advance directive isn’t readily available. Or over time, as changes are made, multiple conflicting copies may exist. 

North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced a fifth metro area in North Dakota is part of the Statewide Interoperability Radio Network (SIRN).  The network now includes Williston, Grand Forks, Minot, Bismarck, and Mandan areas. Riley said the public safety community will greatly benefit from this expansion as it provides an integrated mission-critical communication network for the public safety community.