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Cybersecurity advice you can use

October 16, 2019

By the Center for Government Innovation

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

As a part of Cybersecurity Awareness month, the Center for Government Innovation at the Office of the Washington State Auditor has put together some important tips and advice for local governments on cybersecurity best practices. This one-page guide is quick and informative, with actionable items anyone who works for local government- from finance to HR, from leadership to IT—can take to reduce cyber risks and #BeCyberSmart.

Are you a finance professional in a local government? #BeCyberSmart.

October 4, 2019

Finance matters

Considerations extend beyond budget decisions

As a finance or administrative professional in a local government, you have key responsibilities for managing that government’s resources. In your role, you interact with all aspects of a local government’s operations as you inform budgetary decisions. We’ve created a document with three things you can do right now as a finance professional to #BeCyberSmart. After you read it, make sure to take a look at all the resources we have available on our #BeCyberSmart webpage for local government employees.

Shield that says "Cybersecurity is everyones job"

Stay cyber safe during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 1, 2019

October ushers in the official fall—leaves scattering on the sidewalks, longer nights and a chilling breeze. The month of October also has special significance here at the State Auditor’s Office—Cybersecurity Awareness Month. All month long, we will be sharing cybersecurity resources to help governments of all sizes stay cyber safe.

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Piggy bank

Piggybacking law change eases contract requirement

October 1, 2019

In 2019, the Legislature amended the statute to allow any public agency to use the bid of another public agency for its own purposes if the awarding agency met their own bidding requirements. This is a change to how our Office looks at piggybacking and group purchasing arrangements. For audit purposes, we would expect local governments to evaluate group purchasing contracts as outlined below.

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Cover of Segregation of Duties guide

Every government in Washington has a duty to safeguard the resources entrusted to it; our new guide shows you how

September 26, 2019

Segregation of duties, or separating conflicting duty assignments in your government, can help protect your local government’s assets. But which duties do you segregate, and what are your options if you cannot feasibly do this? What if you are a very small entity with limited resources?

Our Office recognizes how challenging this can be, so the Center for Government Innovation created a new resource to help you get started, no matter your size.

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