LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD TRUST, TRANSPARENCY, AND COLLABORATION

WHITEPAPER

Introduction

Effective governance hinges on establishing robust and transparent communication channels between governments and their diverse stakeholders. This dynamic interplay of Government-to-Stakeholder (G2X) interaction encompasses the interactions between government entities and citizens, businesses, non-profit organisations, other government bodies, and their own employees.

In an era of heightened expectations, governments must prioritise effective stakeholder engagement by developing and executing strategies for building trust, transparency, and collaboration with stakeholders, leveraging technology and data to create more responsive government.

Traditional G2X approaches often encounter significant barriers that hinder effective communication and collaboration. These challenges range from a lack of clear and accessible communication channels to limited resources, bureaucratic hurdles – red tape, and political complexities. As a result, stakeholders may feel unheard, misinformed, or disengaged, which can lead to frustration, distrust, and missed opportunities.

The rapid advancement of technology and availability of data presents transformative opportunities for enhancing G2X engagement. By leveraging digital platforms, data analytics, and emerging technologies, governments can overcome traditional barriers and build stronger, more transparent, and more collaborative relationships with their stakeholders.

This whitepaper will explore how technology can be harnessed to overcome these obstacles. We will touch on real-world case studies of successful e-government initiatives that have leveraged technology and data to streamline processes, enhance transparency, and empower stakeholders. Additionally, we will highlight the role of ServiceNow, a leading digital workflow platform, in facilitating G2X transformation by providing a unified solution for communication, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.

Barriers to Effective G2X Management

Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of G2X engagement, several persistent barriers continue to hinder effective communication and collaboration between governments and their stakeholders. These challenges can undermine trust, impede progress on critical initiatives, and erode public confidence in government institutions. In this section, we delve into five key barriers that commonly arise in G2X interactions, exploring their underlying causes and potential impacts.

Lack of Clear and Accessible Communication
One of the most common challenges in G2X is the absence of clear, concise, and easily accessible communication channels. Government information may be scattered across multiple platforms, websites, or documents, making it difficult for stakeholders to find relevant information or understand complex policies.
Impact: This lack of clarity can lead to confusion, misinformation, and ultimately, disengagement from stakeholders who feel overwhelmed or excluded from the conversation.
Example: A citizen trying to understand the eligibility requirements for a government benefit may struggle to navigate a complex website with outdated information and unclear instructions.

Limited Resources
Government agencies often face resource constraints, including limited budgets, staffing shortages, and outdated technology infrastructure. These limitations can hinder their ability to effectively engage with stakeholders, especially in large-scale initiatives.
Impact: Resource limitations can lead to delays in responding to inquiries, insufficient capacity for community outreach, and a reliance on outdated communication methods that may not reach all segments of the population.
Example: A small local government may struggle to organise public consultations on a proposed development project due to a lack of staff and funding for outreach activities.

Bureaucratic Red Tape
Complex administrative procedures, lengthy approval processes, and excessive paperwork can create significant barriers for stakeholders seeking to interact with the government.
Impact: Bureaucratic red tape can deter citizens and businesses from participating in G2X initiatives, leading to missed opportunities for valuable input and collaboration.
Example: A business owner seeking to obtain a permit for a new venture may face a lengthy and confusing application process, causing frustration and delays.

Lack of Transparency
When government decision-making processes lack transparency, stakeholders may feel excluded or distrustful of the outcomes. Limited access to information, closed-door meetings, and a lack of public accountability can fuel scepticism and cynicism.
Impact: Lack of transparency can undermine public trust in government institutions, reduce participation in G2X activities, and lead to negative perceptions of government motives.
Example: A community group may question the fairness of a government decision on a controversial issue if they perceive the process as opaque and lacking in public input.

Political Challenges
Political considerations, such as competing interests, partisan agendas, and electoral pressures, can sometimes influence G2X interactions. Decisions ore often seen to be driven by political expediency rather than the best interests of stakeholders.
Impact: Political challenges can lead to biased communication, exclusion of certain groups, and a perception that G2X engagement is merely a symbolic gesture.
Example: A government agency may prioritise communicating with certain interest groups that align with the ruling party’s agenda, while neglecting the concerns of other stakeholders.

These five barriers, while not exhaustive, represent some of the most common and significant challenges that hinder effective G2X management. Addressing these barriers requires a multi-faceted approach that combines improved communication strategies, streamlined processes, increased transparency, and a commitment to genuine stakeholder engagement.

The Role of Technology and Data in Enhancing G2X

Technology as an Enabler of Effective Communication
• Online Platforms and Portals: Creating user-friendly websites and portals can serve as centralised hubs for information dissemination, service delivery, and feedback collection.
• Mobile Applications: Developing mobile apps allows stakeholders to access government information and services on the go, enhancing convenience and accessibility.
• Social Media: Leveraging social media platforms enables governments to reach a wider audience, share updates, engage in conversations, and gather feedback in real time.
• AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: These tools can provide instant responses to queries, guide users through processes, and offer personalised support, improving the overall user experience.

Data Analytics for Informed Decision-Making
• Data Collection and Analysis: Gathering data on stakeholder interactions, preferences, and feedback through various channels (surveys, online forms, social media) provides valuable insights into their needs and expectations.
• Predictive Analytics: Analysing historical data can help governments anticipate future trends and proactively address potential issues.
• Performance Measurement: Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to G2X interactions allows for continuous evaluation and improvement of service delivery.
• Data Visualisation: Presenting data in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format helps communicate complex information to stakeholders effectively.

Emerging Technologies for Enhanced G2X
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI can be used to automate routine tasks, personalise communication, analyse large datasets, and even predict potential risks or opportunities.
• Internet of Things (IoT): IoT devices can collect real-time data from various sources, enabling governments to monitor infrastructure, track environmental conditions, and improve resource management.
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): These immersive technologies can be used for virtual public consultations, simulations of proposed projects, and interactive educational experiences.

Enhancing G2X

Embrace a Citizen-Centric Approach
• Design G2X initiatives with the needs, preferences, and expectations of citizens at the forefront. Conduct user research, gather feedback, and involve citizens in the design and development of services.
• Prioritise accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that information and services are available to all citizens, regardless of their technological proficiency or background.
• Strive for personalisation, tailoring communication and service delivery to individual needs and preferences whenever possible.

Foster a Culture of Collaboration and Transparency
• Break down silos between government agencies and departments, fostering a collaborative environment where information and resources are shared freely.
• Encourage open communication and dialogue with stakeholders, soliciting feedback and actively responding to concerns.
• Publish data and information proactively, using open data initiatives and online dashboards to enhance transparency and accountability.
• Involve stakeholders in decision-making processes whenever possible, seeking their input and incorporating their perspectives into policy development.

Invest in Technology and Data Infrastructure
• Prioritise investments in modernising technology infrastructure, including cloud-based platforms, data analytics tools, and cybersecurity measures.
• Adopt a modular approach to technology adoption, allowing for flexibility and scalability as needs evolve.
• Leverage existing solutions like ServiceNow to streamline workflows, automate processes, and enhance data management.
• Provide adequate training and support for government employees to effectively utilise new technologies and data-driven tools.

Develop a Robust Data Governance Framework
• Establish clear policies and procedures for data collection, storage, access, and usage, ensuring compliance with privacy and security regulations.
• Appoint a data governance officer or team responsible for overseeing data management and ensuring data quality.
• Regularly review and update data governance policies to keep pace with evolving technologies and regulations.

Measure and Evaluate G2X Performance
• Define clear metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of G2X initiatives.
• Track progress over time and use data analytics to identify areas for improvement.
• Conduct regular surveys and gather feedback from stakeholders to gauge their satisfaction and identify areas where G2X can be enhanced.

ServiceNow: A Platform for G2X Transformation

ServiceNow offers a range of solutions that can facilitate governments to overcome G2X barriers, streamline processes, enhance transparency, and foster meaningful engagement with all stakeholders. By leveraging ServiceNow’s capabilities, government agencies can achieve a truly transformative shift in their G2X interactions.

ServiceNow Solutions for Enhanced G2X

Citizen Engagement
Public Service Digital Services (PSDS): PSDS empowers governments to create intuitive citizen portals, automate service request provision, and gather feedback through surveys and assessments. PSDS enhances transparency, simplifies interactions, and improves the overall citizen experience with government engagement.

Industry Enablement & Non-profit Collaboration
Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM): TPRM enables thorough assessment and mitigation of risks associated with third-party vendors and suppliers, ensuring secure and compliant business operations.

Intra-Government Collaboration
Customer Service Management (CSM): CSM enables seamless cross-agency collaboration by providing a one-stop shop for case tracking, knowledge sharing, and workflow automation.

Employee Empowerment
HR Service Delivery (HRSD): HRSD offers a self-service portal for employees to access HR information, submit requests, manage benefits, and participate in training programs.
Employee Centre: ServiceNow’s Employee Centre provides a self-service portal for employees to access HR information, submit requests, manage benefits, and participate in training programs.

ServiceNow in Action: Real-World G2X Transformations

Numerous government agencies worldwide have successfully implemented ServiceNow to achieve significant improvements in their G2X interactions. Veracity has proudly been at the forefront of some of these initiatives.

Streamlining Program Service Delivery for Australian Federal Government
Veracity designed and implemented a reusable ServiceNow data model and workflow for a federal department, enabling efficient administration and management of multiple NGO-delivered citizen-facing policy initiatives. This streamlined approach allowed the agency to effectively oversee and coordinate various programs within a unified platform, enhancing transparency and collaboration between the agency and NGOs.

Facilitating Policy Framework Implementation Guidance
Veracity delivered a ServiceNow solution for a federal agency, empowering them to provide timely and accurate advice to other government agencies and businesses on policy framework implementation. This ensured consistency and clarity in policy interpretation, fostering better compliance and coordination across government.

Empowering Military Exchange Field Agents through ServiceNow
Recognising the challenges faced by field agents in a global military exchange service with 2700+ retail locations, Veracity implemented a tailored ServiceNow solution that included streamlined incident and problem management processes. By enabling field agents to log, track, complete, and report on tickets from any location, their efficiency and responsiveness were significantly improved, ensuring critical retail support for military personnel worldwide.

These few examples showcase the versatility and effectiveness of ServiceNow in addressing the diverse G2X challenges faced by government agencies.

Conclusion

Government-to-stakeholder (G2X) engagement has become more critical than ever for effective governance and public service delivery. The expectations of citizens, businesses, non-profit organisations, other government entities, and employees have grown, demanding greater transparency, responsiveness, and personalisation from government institutions.

This whitepaper has explored the key barriers that hinder effective G2X management, ranging from communication challenges to limited resources, bureaucratic hurdles, lack of transparency, and political complexities. However, we have also highlighted the immense potential of technology and data-driven approaches to overcome these obstacles and revolutionise G2X interactions.

By embracing digital platforms, data analytics, and emerging technologies, governments can establish more accessible and personalised communication channels, streamline processes, enhance transparency, and empower stakeholders to actively participate in decision-making processes. Real-world case studies from across the globe have demonstrated the transformative impact of technology-enabled G2X initiatives, resulting in improved service delivery, increased citizen satisfaction, and stronger collaboration between government and its stakeholders.

And finally, ServiceNow, deployed well, can empower governments to implement these transformative changes. By leveraging ServiceNow’s capabilities, agencies can streamline workflows, automate processes, enhance data management, and foster a culture of transparency and collaboration.

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Summary

Governments are under increasing pressure to match the personalised and seamless experiences citizens enjoy in the private sector. The Citizen Digital Twin (CDT), a secure and dynamic representation of an individual’s data, offers a powerful solution for transforming government services. Combining CDTs with the capabilities of ServiceNow PSDS provides governments with the tools for hyper-personalised service delivery, proactive support, and optimised resource allocation.
This whitepaper explores the CDT concept, its potential benefits, and the technological and ethical considerations for implementation. Key benefits include personalised services based on individual needs, the ability for governments to anticipate and address issues proactively, and increased citizen trust through transparency and control.
ServiceNow PSDS provides the robust foundation for CDT management: secure data handling, granular permissions, workflow automation, and integration with diverse systems. However, success hinges on prioritising privacy, transparency, and combating potential biases in CDT-driven processes.
This whitepaper outlines a clear path forward, including the development of a privacy and consent framework, pilot CDT projects in targeted areas, and a commitment to ongoing citizen engagement for the responsible and transformative use of this technology.

Introduction

In an era of personalised online experiences, citizens increasingly expect the same level of convenience and individualisation from their government interactions. However, traditional government services often remain impersonal, reactive, and burdened by manual processes. The Citizen Digital Twin (CDT) presents a groundbreaking solution, empowering governments to deliver services tailored to individual needs and preferences. This whitepaper explores the CDT concept, examines its potential impact on government services, and outlines a roadmap for its ethical and effective implementation.

What is a Citizen Digital Twin?

A Citizen Digital Twin (CDT) is a dynamic, evolving virtual representation of an individual. It securely aggregates various data points with explicit consent, including:
• Personal Information: Demographics, contact information, preferences.
• Government Records: Tax records, licenses, benefits history, interactions with public services.
• Health Records: (If opted-in) Medical history, immunisation records, and potentially wearable device data.
• Social Activity: Public social media interactions relevant to services (e.g., feedback on local transit).
• This CDT is not static; it continually updates and evolves, providing a richer, more holistic understanding of citizen needs, preferences, and circumstances.

Benefits of Citizen Digital Twins in Government

Citizen Digital Twins (CDTs) offer a transformative vision for government services, promising to shift interactions from generic and reactive to personalised and proactive. A CDT securely aggregates data from various sources, with citizen consent, creating a dynamic representation of an individual’s needs and interactions with government. This unlocks potential benefits like hyper-personalised services, streamlined processes, and proactive problem-solving, revolutionising how citizens experience their government.
• Hyper-Personalised Services: CDTs enable tailored services based on individual needs. Think automatic eligibility checks for benefits or personalised healthcare reminders.
• Proactive Government: Anticipate potential problems and act pre-emptively. For instance, CDT insights could identify citizens at risk of financial hardship and connect them to support programs.
• Optimised Resource Allocation: Analyse aggregated CDT data to identify service demands, trends, and optimise resource use within government agencies.
• Citizen Empowerment: CDTs can empower citizens with control over their data and transparency into how the government uses it, fostering trust.
• Data-Driven Urban Planning: CDTs can enhance community consultation. Planners can simulate how policy or infrastructure changes impact citizens based on their data profiles.

ServiceNow PSDS: The Secure and Efficient Engine

ServiceNow PSDS is a tailored version of the ServiceNow platform specifically designed for the unique needs of government agencies. It offers a secure and compliant environment to manage sensitive CDT data, with robust governance and permissioning features. PSDS acts as the backbone for this future-oriented system, providing several crucial functionalities:
• Omnichannel Access: PSDS portals and interfaces empower citizens to access, manage, and control their CDT data, ensuring transparency and agency.
• Workflow Automation: PSDS automates services based on CDT insights, triggering eligibility checks, reminders, or personalised recommendations.
• Integration Hub: PSDS seamlessly connects with diverse government systems and external data sources to create a more complete citizen profile (with robust consent mechanisms).
• Analytics and Reporting: PSDS tools analyse individual and aggregated CDT data, providing valuable insights for planning, resource optimisation, and identifying service delivery patterns.

Technological Foundations for CDTs

Implementing CDTs requires robust technological infrastructure for data storage, management, integration, and responsible use. Platforms like ServiceNow PSDS provide the building blocks for CDTs within a government context. These platforms prioritise data security, comprehensive permissioning systems, workflow automation capabilities, and the ability to seamlessly integrate with diverse legacy government systems.
Implementing CDTs requires robust platforms like ServiceNow PSDS. Here’s why PSDS is well-suited for this purpose:
• Secure Data Environment: PSDS provides secure storage and management of sensitive CDT data, complying with stringent privacy regulations.
• Permission and Governance Tools: Fine-grained control over data access and usage are crucial for trust. PSDS offers tools to manage this transparently.
• Integration with Legacy Systems: PSDS connects disparate government systems to feed CDTs with information while maintaining data integrity.
• Workflow and Automation Capabilities: PSDS can automate processes based on CDT insights, streamlining service delivery.

Addressing Ethical Considerations

While the Citizen Digital Twin model holds great promise for improving government services, its success hinges on addressing crucial ethical considerations. Privacy, transparency, and the potential for algorithmic bias are at the forefront of these discussions. Any CDT implementation must build public trust through proactive measures like robust consent models, explainability in decision-making, and rigorous safeguards against misuse of sensitive citizen data.
The CDT concept offers exciting possibilities but requires proactive discussion of critical considerations:
• Privacy by Design: CDTs must be built on robust consent models, granular data permissions, and strict encryption standards.
• Transparency and Accountability: Government use of CDTs must be fully auditable and explainable to the citizen.
• Avoiding Bias: Algorithms and decision-making using CDT data need to be carefully monitored to prevent algorithmic bias and discrimination.
• Digital Divide: Ensuring CDTs don’t disadvantage those who are less technologically savvy requires maintaining alternate service channels.

Developing a Privacy and Consent Framework for CDTs

A well-defined privacy and consent framework sits at the core of responsible CDT adoption. This framework must put citizens in control of their data. It should emphasise granular permissions over what data is included, transparency on how the CDT is used, and the ability to opt-out or have the CDT and its data fully deleted. Strict security and auditing measures are essential to maintain public trust.
Robust privacy and consent lie at the heart of successful CDT implementation. A comprehensive framework should address the following:
• Opt-in Model: Citizens explicitly choose to create a CDT, with full comprehension of its purpose and implications.
• Granular Permissions: Citizens should have granular control over what data is included in their CDT and how it is used by different government services.
• Right to be Forgotten: Citizens retain the ability to easily revoke consent and have their CDT data permanently deleted.
• Data Security and Encryption: CDTs must be protected by the highest security standards to prevent unauthorised access and breaches.
• Continuous Auditing and Oversight: An independent body should be established to regularly audit CDT usage and ensure compliance with the framework.

Creating Pilot CDT Projects in Specific Government Services

Before full-scale CDT deployment, pilot projects allow for testing, refinement, and public feedback. Ideal pilot areas include:
• Benefits Eligibility: CDTs can streamline eligibility checks for various social programs, automating the process for citizens and reducing administrative burden.
• Personalised Tax Services: CDTs could pre-fill tax returns and proactively identify potential deductions or credits available to individual citizens.
• Non-emergency Healthcare: CDTs could automate appointment scheduling, medication reminders, and provide tailored health information based on a citizen’s profile.
These pilots should involve citizen collaboration and rigorous evaluation to understand the benefits, limitations, and gather input for improving CDT implementation.

Conclusion

The Citizen Digital Twin, supported by platforms like ServiceNow PSDS, offers a transformative path toward a new era of government service delivery. By harnessing the power of data and secure technologies, governments can unlock unprecedented levels of personalisation, efficiency, and citizen trust. However, realising this potential depends on proactive measures – prioritising privacy by design, careful pilot projects, and ongoing dialogue with citizens. Governments that embrace CDTs with a citizen-centric lens have the opportunity to become leaders in truly responsive and proactive service that meets the evolving expectations of the 21st century.

WHITEPAPER

Leveraging ServiceNow GRC to Streamline Compliance with the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act

Summary

Australia’s Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SOCI Act) and the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Act (SLACIP Act) impose rigorous governance and security obligations on critical infrastructure asset owners and operators. Faced with evolving cyber threats, organisations must adopt innovative solutions to streamline compliance efforts, reduce operational risks, and bolster the security of essential services.
ServiceNow Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) is a powerful enabler designed to help organisations address complex compliance requirements like those outlined in the SOCI Act. GRC offers a suite of integrated capabilities, including Policy and Compliance Management, Risk Management, Audit Management, and Vendor Risk Management. These features can be leveraged to centralise compliance data, automate routine tasks, and gain real-time insights into the regulatory and risk landscape.
Key benefits of utilising ServiceNow GRC for SOCI Act compliance include:
• Improved Visibility and Control: Centralisation of compliance, risk, and audit information provides enhanced clarity and decision-making capabilities.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Accountability: Streamlined processes and clear role assignment improve coordination throughout your organisation.
• Streamlined Workflow Automation: Automate key tasks to reduce manual effort and minimise compliance errors.
• Continuous Monitoring and Real-Time Insights: Proactively identify and manage risks to critical infrastructure assets.
• Integration with Other ServiceNow Applications: Gain a holistic view of cybersecurity and IT operations to better protect critical infrastructure assets.
By adopting ServiceNow GRC, critical infrastructure organisations can achieve a comprehensive and integrated approach to SOCI Act compliance, enhancing their security posture and enabling them to focus on core business objectives with confidence.

Introduction & Overview of the SOCI Act

The Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act) and the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Act 2022 (SLACIP Act) impose significant obligations on organisations to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure assets.
The SOCI Act and the amending SLACIP Act introduces new requirements for critical infrastructure asset owners and operators in Australia. The Acts focus on improving the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure and fostering collaboration between industry and government.
Key provisions in both Acts are:
• The definition of critical infrastructure assets,
• Obligations to create and maintain a critical infrastructure risk management program,
• Enhanced cybersecurity obligations for operators of systems of national significance, and
• Mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting.
The Act aims to enhance the security and resilience of vital infrastructure while promoting cooperation between the industry and government.
As regulatory requirements become increasingly complex and the threat landscape continues to evolve, organisations face the challenge of managing compliance effectively and efficiently. To navigate this complexity and adapt to emerging threats, critical infrastructure owners and operators must leverage innovative solutions that streamline compliance efforts while addressing the dynamic nature of risks.
Streamlining compliance involves automating processes, centralising information, and improving collaboration between different teams and departments. By adopting comprehensive governance, risk, and compliance platforms like ServiceNow, organisations can gain a holistic view of their compliance landscape, automate routine tasks, and establish efficient workflows.
Effective compliance management must also account for the rapidly changing threat environment. This includes staying up-to-date on new regulations, adapting to emerging technologies, and addressing evolving cyber threats. By employing real-time risk identification and continuous monitoring, organisations can proactively respond to changes and maintain compliance with evolving regulatory requirements, such as those outlined in the SOCI Act.
As cyber threats against critical infrastructure escalate, ensuring compliance with the SOCI Act is no longer optional. Yet, many organisations grapple with fragmented systems and manual processes, making it challenging to maintain visibility into evolving risks and meet stringent regulatory requirements. Imagine a solution that centralises compliance, automates workflows, and provides real-time insights – introducing ServiceNow Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC). GRC can be a game-changer, streamlining your path to SOCI Act compliance and strengthening the security posture of your critical assets.
This whitepaper will discuss how ServiceNow Governance, Risk, and Compliance can help critical infrastructure organisations streamline compliance with these Acts, reduce operational risks, and improve overall security. We will delve into the various features and capabilities of ServiceNow GRC, explore automation opportunities, and examine the benefits of leveraging the platform for compliance.

ServiceNow GRC Capabilities

ServiceNow Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) provides a comprehensive suite of capabilities that can help streamline compliance efforts related to the SOCI Act. In this section, we will explore the some of the capability provided by GRC.
Policy and Compliance Management
ServiceNow’s Policy and Compliance Management allows organisations to define, manage, and monitor compliance with regulatory requirements. This capability enables businesses to create a centralised repository of policies, map them to specific regulatory requirements, and assign ownership and accountability for maintaining compliance. Crucially, it supports automated control testing, remediation tracking, and real-time compliance status reporting.
Risk Management
ServiceNow Risk Management helps enterprises identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with critical infrastructure assets by providing the tools for businesses to create risk profiles for their assets, assess the likelihood and impact of potential threats, and develop mitigation strategies to address these risks. ServiceNow GRC also supports continuous risk monitoring and reporting, enabling critical infrastructure businesses to stay on top of their risk landscape and make informed resource allocation and risk mitigation decisions.
Audit Management
Audit Management capabilities in ServiceNow will enable organisations to plan, execute, and manage audits to ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements and identify areas for improvement. The platform provides a centralised environment for managing audit engagements, tracking audit findings, and ensuring timely resolution of identified issues. With the ability to automate audit tasks, organisations can reduce the time and effort required to perform audits and focus on addressing compliance gaps.
Vendor Risk Management
ServiceNow’s Vendor Risk Management module helps organisations assess and manage risks associated with third-party vendors involved in critical infrastructure operations, thereby maintaining a secure and compliant supply chain. This enables businesses to create a centralised vendor registry, assess vendors based on predefined risk criteria, and continuously monitor vendor performance and risk profiles.
Platform-wide Interoperability
ServiceNow GRC can be integrated with other ServiceNow solutions to provide a holistic approach to managing risk and compliance across a critical infrastructure operator’s IT and security operations. By integrating these solutions, organisations can gain a comprehensive view of their IT infrastructure, enabling them to identify vulnerabilities, prioritise remediation efforts, and ensure that their IT environment is compliant with the SOCI Act.

Streamlining Compliance through Automation

ServiceNow GRC offers automation capabilities that can significantly reduce the time and effort required to maintain compliance with the SOCI Act by automating repetitive tasks to focus on higher-level strategic activities. In this section, we will discuss automation opportunities available within ServiceNow in relation to SOCI Act compliance.
Automated Policy and Control Testing
ServiceNow GRC enables organisations to automate the testing of their policies and controls, reducing the manual effort required to maintain compliance with the SOCI Act. By configuring automated test plans, organisations can regularly validate the effectiveness of their controls and identify potential compliance gaps. This automated approach ensures that businesses can proactively address issues, reducing the risk of non-compliance and minimising the potential impact on their critical infrastructure assets.
Continuous Monitoring and Reporting
ServiceNow GRC supports continuous monitoring and reporting of compliance status, enabling organisations to gain real-time insights into their compliance posture. By setting up automated alerts and notifications, businesses can stay informed of potential compliance issues and take immediate action to address them. This continuous monitoring approach ensures that organisations can maintain an up-to-date understanding of their compliance status and promptly address any emerging risks to their critical infrastructure assets.
Automated Risk Assessment and Mitigation
ServiceNow GRC allows organisations to automate the risk assessment process, streamlining the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of risks associated with critical infrastructure assets. By deploying risk assessment templates and automating the collection of risk data, businesses can quickly identify and prioritise risks, enabling them to allocate resources effectively and mitigate potential threats. This automated risk management approach ensures that organisations can maintain a proactive stance towards risk management and protect their critical infrastructure assets from emerging threats.
Automated Incident Response and Remediation
ServiceNow GRC’s integration with Security Operations enables organisations to automate their incident and vulnerability response and remediation processes. This streamlined approach ensures that organisations can rapidly address security incidents, reducing the likelihood of significant disruptions to their essential services.
Automated Compliance Reporting and Documentation
ServiceNow GRC supports automated generation of compliance reports and documentation, simplifying the process of demonstrating compliance with the SOCI Act to regulators and other stakeholders. By automating the collection of compliance data, organisations can easily generate up-to-date reports that highlight their compliance status and the effectiveness of their controls.

Continuous Monitoring and Risk Assessment

ServiceNow GRC enables organisations to continuously monitor and assess risks associated with their critical infrastructure assets. By leveraging real-time data and analytics, organisations can identify emerging risks and proactively take action to mitigate potential threats. This section will cover the key ServiceNow capabilities for continuous monitoring and risk assessment.
Real-Time Risk Identification
ServiceNow GRC supports real-time risk identification by continuously monitoring critical infrastructure assets and integrating with other ServiceNow solutions such as ITOM, ITSM, ITAM, and SecOps. This continuous monitoring approach helps organisations to identify emerging risks and vulnerabilities promptly, allowing them to respond to potential threats before they escalate and impact their essential services.
Dynamic Risk Scoring and Prioritisation
ServiceNow GRC’s dynamic risk scoring and prioritisation capabilities enable organisations to quickly assess and prioritise risks associated with their critical infrastructure assets. By automating the risk assessment process and using customisable risk scoring methodologies, businesses can quickly evaluate the severity of identified risks and allocate resources effectively.
Risk Mitigation and Control Design
ServiceNow GRC facilitates the design and implementation of effective risk mitigation strategies and controls for critical infrastructure assets. Organisations can use the platform to define and manage risk mitigation plans, assign responsibility for implementing controls, and track the progress of risk mitigation efforts.
Continuous Compliance Monitoring
ServiceNow GRC supports continuous compliance monitoring, enabling organisations to automatically track the effectiveness of implemented controls and policies in alignment with the requirements of the SOCI Act.
Risk Reporting and Analytics
ServiceNow GRC offers robust risk reporting and analytics capabilities that provide organisations with a comprehensive understanding of their risk landscape and compliance status. By leveraging advanced reporting features and customisable dashboards, businesses can gain insights into the effectiveness of their risk management and compliance efforts.

The ISM and Essential 8

Security Manual (ISM) Essential 8 is a set of strategies designed to help organisations protect their systems from various cyber threats.
The Essential 8 provides a baseline for organisations to improve their security posture and resilience, which is particularly relevant when complying with the SOCI Act.
The strategies include a subset of controls from the wider ISM. By incorporating these strategies into their risk management and security practices, organisations can significantly reduce the likelihood of cyber incidents that could compromise their critical infrastructure assets.
Implementing the Essential 8 in conjunction with ServiceNow GRC’s capabilities can provide a comprehensive approach to maintaining compliance with the SOCI Act, enhancing overall cyber resilience and protecting essential services.

Benefits of Using ServiceNow GRC for Compliance

Leveraging ServiceNow GRC to streamline compliance with the SOCI Act provides several key benefits for critical infrastructure businesses.
Improved Visibility and Control
ServiceNow GRC enhances visibility and control over critical infrastructure assets by centralising compliance, risk, and audit data. This consolidated view enables organisations to better understand the risk landscape, identify potential compliance issues, and prioritise their resources effectively.
Enhanced Collaboration and Accountability
ServiceNow GRC facilitates collaboration and accountability across different teams and departments by clearly defining roles and responsibilities for compliance and risk management. By streamlining communication and collaboration, organisations can ensure that all stakeholders are engaged in maintaining compliance with the SOCI Act.
Streamlined Process and Workflow Automation
ServiceNow GRC automates and streamlines compliance processes and workflows, enabling organisations to reduce manual efforts, eliminate redundancies, and improve overall efficiency. By automating key compliance tasks such as policy management, risk assessment, and audit management, businesses can focus their resources on addressing critical risks and vulnerabilities.
Continuous Monitoring and Real-Time Insights
ServiceNow GRC’s continuous monitoring and real-time insights capabilities enable organisations to proactively identify, assess, and manage risks associated with critical infrastructure assets. By staying ahead of emerging threats and vulnerabilities, businesses can respond to potential compliance issues and maintain the resilience and protection of their essential services.
Integration with Other ServiceNow Applications
ServiceNow GRC seamlessly integrates with other ServiceNow solutions. By integrating GRC with ITOM, organisations can gain a clear understanding of the relationships and dependencies between IT infrastructure components, helping them prioritise risks and make informed decisions about resource allocation.
Integration with ITSM enables organisations to streamline incident response and ensure compliance is maintained throughout the service lifecycle.
With Enterprise Asset Management, businesses can track and manage the complete lifecycle of assets, enabling better visibility into asset-related risks and facilitating more effective risk mitigation strategies.
The integration of ServiceNow GRC with SecOps allows for the alignment of security incident response and compliance management efforts. This provides the ability to detect, respond to, and remediate security incidents quickly, ensuring that their security posture remains compliant with relevant regulations.

Conclusion

As the complexity of the regulatory landscape continues to grow, organisations must find efficient ways to manage compliance and mitigate risks associated with critical infrastructure assets.
ServiceNow GRC offers a powerful, integrated solution that enables organisations to streamline compliance with the SOCI Act while reducing operational risks and enhancing overall security.
By leveraging automation, continuous monitoring, and risk assessment capabilities, organisations can focus on strategic activities that ensure the ongoing protection and resilience of their critical infrastructure assets.
Ultimately, ServiceNow GRC empowers organisations to navigate the ever-evolving regulatory landscape and maintain the trust of their stakeholders, customers, and the broader community.

References
Legislative Information and Reforms
Department of Home Affairs Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre
https://www.cisc.gov.au/legislative-information-and-reforms/critical-infrastructure

Australian Cyber Security Centre
Essential Eight Maturity Model
https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/publications/essential-eight-maturity-model

WHITEPAPER

Summary

ServiceNow has become a powerful tool for streamlining operations across industries. However, its widespread adoption and the sensitive data it often houses make it a high-value target for cyberattacks. Robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) is essential to safeguard these valuable assets.
By meticulously designing role-based access controls (RBAC), integrating with trusted identity providers, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), and adopting Zero Trust principles, organisations create a secure and streamlined ServiceNow environment. This proactive approach protects sensitive data, ensures operational continuity, and builds trust with stakeholders.
Investing in comprehensive IAM translates to an investment in confidence. It empowers organisations to fully leverage the transformative potential of ServiceNow without the persistent fear of security breaches or operational disruptions.

Introduction

ServiceNow, with its promise of streamlined workflows and centralised IT service management (ITSM), has established itself as a cornerstone of modern enterprise operations. It underpins critical processes across industries, from incident resolution and customer service to HR onboarding and asset management. However, the potential gains delivered by ServiceNow hinge on its secure implementation and ongoing management. Robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) serves as the vigilant gatekeeper, ensuring that only authorised individuals access the appropriate data and resources within your ServiceNow environment.

The Ever-Present Danger: IAM in the Face of Threats

The cyber threat landscape is in a state of constant flux. Data breaches, ransomware attacks, supply chain compromises, and the ever-looming threat of insider actions demand a security posture that is both meticulous and adaptive. Failing to prioritise IAM within your ServiceNow deployment risks severe consequences:
Data Compromise: Sensitive customer information, intellectual property, and financial records could be exposed to unauthorised eyes, damaging your organisation’s reputation, and potentially leading to hefty compliance fines.
Operational Disruption: Ransomware or malicious actors gaining unauthorised access can cripple critical ServiceNow-powered processes, grinding productivity to a halt and severely impacting business continuity.
Loss of Trust: A breach of your ServiceNow environment erodes the trust of both customers and employees, making recovery a much steeper uphill battle.

The Fundamentals of Effective ServiceNow IAM

Roles and Permissions: The Bedrock of Control

Meticulous role-based access control (RBAC) is paramount. User roles must be meticulously defined, directly mirroring the job functions and responsibilities of your workforce. The principle of least privilege – providing only the absolute minimum permissions necessary for a user to perform their role – should be a guiding light.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Integration: Security and Convenience

Integrating ServiceNow with your central Identity Provider (IdP) streamlines the user experience and strengthens security posture. SSO reduces the reliance on individual passwords, a significant source of vulnerabilities, by leveraging centralised authentication and authorisation mechanisms.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): The Extra Layer of Defence

In an age of rampant credential theft, passwords alone offer insufficient protection. MFA mandates multiple forms of verification (e.g., biometrics, security tokens, one-time codes). This dramatically reduces the attack surface, making it significantly harder for malicious actors to gain access even with compromised credentials.

Adaptive Authentication: Intelligent, Context-Aware Access

Context and risk-aware authentication adds a layer of intelligent decision-making to IAM. Analysing factors like user behaviour patterns, device information, location, and potential threat indicators, adaptive authentication balances user experience and security. Legitimate users experience less friction, while suspicious access attempts are blocked or require further verification.
Defence in Depth: IAM as a Critical Pillar

IAM is not a standalone solution but a vital component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. It must work in concert with firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), endpoint protection, security awareness training, and other measures to establish multiple layers of defence.

ServiceNow IAM Best Practices

Regular Access Audits: Vigilance is Key

Frequency: Conduct access audits on a schedule that balances risk with resource availability. High-risk ServiceNow modules or datasets may warrant more frequent (e.g., quarterly) reviews, while lower-risk areas could be audited annually or semi-annually.
Scope: Don’t just focus on user permissions. Audit group memberships, privileged accounts, inactive accounts, and access logs for unusual patterns (e.g., logins outside normal business hours).
Tools and Automation: Leverage ServiceNow’s reporting and auditing capabilities. Consider third-party solutions specialised in IAM auditing to streamline the process and track historical changes.

Automation: Efficiency and Risk Reduction

Workflow-Driven Provisioning: Design automated workflows based on role, ensuring users get the access they need from day one. Integrate workflows with HR systems for streamlined onboarding and offboarding.
Approval Logic: Build approval chains for access requests, ensuring appropriate oversight especially for sensitive data or privileged roles.
Self-Service with Guardrails: Allow users to request additional access within a predefined framework, balanced with necessary approvals.
Scheduled Deactivation: Automate the deactivation of accounts for temporary employees, contractors, or users on extended leave to reduce your attack surface.

Strong Governance: Policies and Accountability

Formal IAM Policy: Document encompassing access control principles, roles and responsibilities, password requirements, incident response, and more. Regularly review and update the policy.
Ownership: Clearly designate an IAM owner or team responsible for policy enforcement, monitoring, and responding to security events.
Communication and Training: Ensure relevant stakeholders (IT, HR, business unit managers) understand their roles in the IAM process and the implications of access decisions.
Metrics: Define KPIs (e.g., time to provision access, number of privileged accounts, audit findings) to track your IAM program’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Educate and Empower Users: The Human Element

Onboarding and Ongoing Training: Include IAM basics in new employee orientation and provide regular refreshers for all users. Cover password security, phishing awareness, and how to report suspicious activity.
Simulated Phishing Exercises: Run realistic campaigns to test user awareness and reinforce the dangers of clicking on malicious links or opening suspicious attachments.
Clear Reporting Channels: Make the process of reporting potential security issues straightforward. Provide multiple avenues (e.g., dedicated email, hotline) for convenient reporting.
Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge and reward users who demonstrate security-conscious behaviour, helping build a culture where everyone takes ownership of protecting the ServiceNow environment.

Important Considerations

Zero Trust: A Proactive Security Mindset

The Traditional Perimeter Dissolves: Zero Trust rejects the notion that anything inside the network is inherently safe. It assumes breaches are possible (or have already happened) and focuses on protecting assets and data, not just the network boundary.
Continuous Authentication: Every access request is scrutinised, regardless of whether it originates from within the network. User identity, device health, behaviour patterns, and the context of the request are all factors determining access.
Micro-segmentation: Network and data access are granularly segmented based on least privilege principles. This limits the potential damage if one part of your ServiceNow environment is compromised.
IAM in a Zero Trust World: IAM becomes even more critical in a Zero Trust model. Strong authentication, dynamic authorisation based on risk, and comprehensive auditing are essential components.

Vendor Management: Mitigating Third-Party Risk

Assessing Vendor Security: Before granting any vendor access to your ServiceNow instance, thoroughly evaluate their security posture and IAM practices. Conduct due diligence questionnaires, review certifications, and potentially demand on-site security audits.
Contractual Obligations: Contractually define security requirements and expectations. Include provisions for data handling, breach notification, incident response, and regular security reviews.
The Principle of Least Privilege: Apply the principle of least privilege to vendor accounts. Grant them only the minimum access levels and for the specific duration required to do their job.
Monitoring and Auditing: Log and monitor vendor access activity using ServiceNow’s auditing capabilities or specialised vendor access management solutions. Review logs for anomalies.
Offboarding Procedures: Have a clear offboarding process that immediately revokes vendor access when a contract ends or services are no longer required.

Compliance: IAM Supporting Regulatory Requirements

Mapping Requirements: Carefully analyse how specific regulations (HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, etc.) impact your ServiceNow data and user access. Identify provisions around access controls, auditing, data protection, and incident response.
Tailored IAM Controls: Design and implement IAM processes that directly support compliance with relevant regulations. For example, HIPAA mandates strict access controls and audit trails for protected health information (PHI).
Documentation and Evidence: Meticulously document your IAM policies, procedures, and technical controls. This will be essential during compliance audits to demonstrate that you meet the necessary standards
Regular Reviews: Compliance isn’t a one-time activity. Schedule regular reviews of your IAM strategy to ensure it remains aligned with evolving regulations and addresses identified risks.

Conclusion

IAM is not a restrictive barrier to productivity but an enabler of secure, streamlined operations. By meticulously designing roles, integrating with trusted identity providers, implementing MFA, and adopting principles like Zero Trust, you create a ServiceNow environment that promotes both innovation and resilience. Invest in comprehensive IAM, and you invest in confidence – confidence that your data, your processes, and the trust of your stakeholders are protected.

Introduction

In the evolving cybersecurity landscape, organisations are challenged with safeguarding their digital infrastructure. This white paper discusses using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems to monitor ServiceNow’s Management, Instrumentation, and Discovery (MID) Server to enhance security. By setting clear expectations of the MID Server’s behaviour and leveraging threat intelligence feeds, organisations can create a proactive security posture, detect potential risks, and strengthen overall security.

The MID Server plays a critical role in a holistic ServiceNow architecture. It acts as a bridge between the ServiceNow platform and an organisation’s local, hybrid or cloud network. While providing vital functionality, it also introduces certain risks. These include access to sensitive information, potential attack vectors, privilege abuse, insider threats, and the complexity of monitoring its activities.

Introduced Risks

While this functionality is integral to ServiceNow operations, it does present certain risks that organisations should be mindful of:

• Access to Sensitive Information: The MID Server can potentially access sensitive or confidential information during its operations. This could include details about the network infrastructure, system configurations, or even user data. If not properly secured, this information could be vulnerable to unauthorised access or data breaches. Mitigation involves implementing strict access controls and data encryption. This could involve limiting the data that the MID Server can access to only what is necessary for its functions.
• Potential Attack Vector: Due to its role as a communication channel between ServiceNow and local network components, the MID Server could be targeted as an attack vector by threat actors. If compromised, it could be used to manipulate data, disrupt services, or even gain unauthorised access to the broader network. To mitigate this risk, consider adopting a security strategy that includes regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. These methods can help identify and fix potential security weaknesses that could be exploited. Also, ensure that the MID Server is always running the latest version, as software updates often contain patches for known vulnerabilities.
• Privilege Abuse: The MID Server often requires certain privileges to carry out its tasks, such as access rights to systems or databases. If these privileges are not managed and monitored carefully, they could be exploited to carry out malicious activities. Adhere to the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which ensures that the MID Server only has the necessary permissions to perform its duties and no more. Regular audits can help maintain proper permission settings and identify any deviations.
• Insider Threats: Since the MID Server performs numerous operations, sometimes, malicious activities can be masked under its regular tasks. For example, an insider could leverage the MID Server’s functions to access or exfiltrate sensitive data without raising suspicion. Implement robust user activity monitoring to detect unusual activities in real-time. Regular audits and staff training can also help reduce the risk of insider threats.
• Complexity of Monitoring: The wide range of tasks that the MID Server can perform may make it challenging to effectively monitor its activities. Unusual or malicious activities could go unnoticed amidst the volume of regular tasks, especially if organisations do not have effective SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems in place. Employ a robust SIEM system to help manage the complexity of monitoring the MID Server’s activities. This can alert you to any unusual or suspicious activities in real-time. Integrating AI-powered systems can also help sift through the vast amounts of data and pinpoint potential threats.

The MID Server’s extensive access to sensitive data and system configurations makes it a potential target for cyber-attacks. Furthermore, the privileges it requires to execute tasks, if not managed carefully, can be exploited for malicious activities. Additionally, its broad range of functions makes monitoring and distinguishing between normal and suspicious activities challenging. Recognising these potential threats underscores the need for robust security measures.

Leveraging SIEM for Enhanced Security

SIEM systems provide a solution to these challenges by offering a comprehensive view of an organisation’s security landscape. They collect, analyse, and correlate security events from multiple sources, providing real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware.

By having the SIEM keep an eye on a MID Server, organisations can create a proactive security posture. This is based on the principle of establishing clear expectations of the MID Server’s behaviour, thereby enabling the SIEM to identify and alert on deviations that may indicate a security risk.

Establishing the Behaviour Baseline

The first step in this process is to establish a comprehensive understanding of the ‘normal’ MID Server behaviour. This is achieved by analysing a substantial volume of the MID Server’s operational data over a specific timeframe, taking into consideration factors like task types, execution times, durations, data volumes, and error rates. This analysis reveals patterns and trends that form a baseline against which real-time activities can be compared.

A crucial aspect of this approach is that the baseline should not be static. As the system evolves, so too should the baseline. Regular updates to the baseline, accounting for changes in system behaviour due to factors like system updates, infrastructure changes, or shifts in usage patterns, help maintain its relevancy and robustness against false positives. Another option to aid in establishing this baseline is by regularly providing to the SIEM, the MID Server Script Files in your ServiceNow instance.

Integrating Threat Intelligence Feeds

In addition to establishing a behaviour baseline, SIEM systems usually also integrate threat intelligence feeds. These feeds provide real-time data about known threats, vulnerabilities, and Indicators of Compromise (IoCs), significantly enhancing the detection capabilities of the SIEM system.

To maximise feed effectiveness, the threat intelligence data should be correlated with the operational data from the MID Server. For instance, if the threat intelligence feed reports an increase in a specific type of attack, the SIEM system should prioritise monitoring for signs of this attack in the MID Server’s operations.

Conclusion

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, securing the MID Server in ServiceNow environments is of paramount importance. Through the integration of SIEM systems and the establishment of a clear behaviour baseline, organisations can efficiently detect and respond to potential threats. The integration of threat intelligence feeds further enhances detection capabilities, providing a comprehensive and proactive approach to security.

SIEM monitoring of the MID Server not only helps manage the risks associated with the MID Server but also strengthens an organisation’s overall security posture. By leveraging this approach, organisations can continue their digital transformation journeys with greater confidence, safe in the knowledge that their infrastructure is secure.

In summary, while the path to robust cybersecurity is complex and ever-changing, the monitoring of ServiceNow’s MID Server with your SIEM provides a significant step forward, enabling organisations to better manage risks, detect threats proactively, and secure their digital future.

An ever-present but rarely simple question as digital transformations and legacy modernisations proceed is how much, if any, legacy data should be brought along for the ride. Any decision to migrate data from legacy business applications to modern enterprise platforms such as ServiceNow requires careful consideration and planning by solution architects, system/product owners and data stewards.

The case against migration of, for example, old incident tickets has been well made and is generally encouraged with its drawbacks usually, if not almost always rightly outweighing the benefits, with cost versus value typically the key deciding factor.

However, a regularly overlooked benefit of migrating large legacy datasets into ServiceNow is that it can be a valuable initial source of training data for machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. Assuming the quality, validity, accuracy and not least the currency of legacy datasets is both sufficient and acceptable, leveraging historical data can provide a head start on the not-insignificant amount of data needed to develop robust predictive models.

The minimum recommended dataset size is 30,000 records to train Predictive Intelligence models. Having a ready made set of data can boost time to value for implementing training solutions. As the legacy data ages out of the training frequency windows it can easily be archived (or eventually disposed) as it’s value and currency diminishes. Additionally, legacy data can also support the initial seeding of Performance Analytics indicators thus providing day 1 visibility against past trends and performance. This in turn can then provide some part of the data that goes toward measuring overall implementation success.

In closing, while migrating legacy data to ServiceNow can present challenges and require investment of time and resources, there are several compelling reasons to consider this approach in a targeted manner. By striking the right balance and identifying value in legacy data, organisations can begin to realise the benefits of their ServiceNow investment from the day of go live.

_{Cross-posted on the ServiceNow Community}

Introduction

Cyber resilience has become a critical factor for organisations both large and small. With the prevalence of realised cyber threats such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and phishing, organisations need to ensure that they can withstand and recover from these events.

The ServiceNow CMDB (Configuration Management Database) can be an effective tool, that when implemented and maintained, can help organisations to achieve cyber resilience by providing a comprehensive view of their IT infrastructure.

In this article, I will explore how the ServiceNow CMDB can be used to enhance cyber resiliency and cover some leading practices that can be adopted to ensure an organisation is cyber resilient.

Cyber Resilience

Cyber resilience refers to an organisation’s ability to withstand and recover from cyber threats and, if unmitigated, actual security incidents. It comprises a combination of security measures aimed at preventing, detecting, responding to, and recovering from attacks.

To be cyber resilient requires an organisation to have robust cybersecurity measures in place, as well as processes and procedures for dealing with incident response and business continuity in the event of an incident occurring.

It also involves regular testing and review of cyber resilience measures to ensure their effectiveness and the ability to adapt to evolving threats.

Understanding the ServiceNow CMDB

ServiceNow’s CMDB is a repository that stores information about an organisation’s IT assets and infrastructure. It provides a comprehensive view of the relationships between these assets, enabling organisations to better understand their IT environment and make informed decisions.

The information stored in a CMDB can include hardware and software assets, network devices, and business services. It also includes information about the relationships between these assets, and hopefully service maps.

One of the key benefits of leveraging a CMDB for cyber resilience is its ability to provide that complete view of an organisation’s IT footprint. This enables identification of potential vulnerabilities and risks in an IT environment and opportunities to take proactive measures to address any that exist. For example, if an organisation discovers that a particular software application is vulnerable to a known security flaw or weakness, it can use the CMDB to quickly identify all instances of that application and take immediate action to patch or update them.

Another benefit of using the ServiceNow CMDB for cyber resilience is its role in incident response and management. When a security incident occurs, the CMDB can provide critical information about the affected assets, including their location, configuration, dependencies and crucially what they might support upstream. This information can help organisations to quickly isolate and contain the incident, minimising impact on their operations.

Enhancing cyber resilience with the ServiceNow CMDB

ServiceNow CMDB can enhance an organisation’s cyber resilience in several ways, including:

• Identifying potential vulnerabilities and risks:
  A complete ServiceNow CMDB can provide a comprehensive view of an organisation’s IT environment, allowing them to identify potential vulnerabilities and risks. Organisations can use this information to prioritise their security efforts and take proactive measures to address potential threats before they become major issues.
• Incident response and management:
  The CMDB should play a critical role in incident response and management. When a security incident occurs, organisations can use the CMDB to quickly identify the affected assets and their dependencies, allowing them to isolate and contain the incident before it spreads. This can minimise the impact on operations, reduce downtime and importantly any reputational or financial exposure.
• Recovery and continuity:
  A ServiceNow CMDB can also help in recovery and continuity after a security incident. By providing a complete view of their IT assets and infrastructure, organisations can quickly identify the affected assets and prioritise their recovery efforts. This can help organisations to get back to normal operations more quickly, again minimising the impact of an incident on their business.

To make the most of a ServiceNow CMDB for cyber resilience, consider adopting practices such as:

• Regularly update the CMDB:
  A CMDB is only as effective as the data that is stored in it.
  Ensure that the CMDB is constantly updated with accurate and complete data to ensure that a complete view of the IT environment exists.
• Integrate with other security tools and systems:
  Multi-source CMDBs can provide a holistic security picture. This can help identify potential threats more quickly and respond to them more effectively.
• Train staff on how to use the CMDB effectively:
  Include training on how to update the CMDB, how to use it for incident response, and how to use it for recovery and continuity.
• Regularly review and test cyber resilience measures:
  Include regular vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and tabletop exercises to simulate security incidents. Regular testing can identify potential weaknesses in cyber resilience measures. Proactive beats Reactive every day of the week.

Conclusion

In closing, the ServiceNow CMDB can be an effective asset for an organisation to enhance their cyber resilience. By adopting leading practices and investing in cyber resilience measures such as a complete, compliant, and correct CMDB is essential for organisations to protect themselves in today’s evolving threat landscape.

^{Cross-posted @ Improving cyber resilience with the ServiceNow CMD… – ServiceNow Community}

As government agencies face increasing demands to deliver high-quality services to citizens and stakeholders, they need to find ways to optimise their operations and resources. One way that government agencies can achieve this is by implementing ServiceNow, to manage its digital workflows.

However, implementing ServiceNow can be a complex and time-consuming process, especially for government agencies that are operating with limited resources and staff. That’s where a ServiceNow roadmap can make a significant difference. A ServiceNow roadmap is a detailed plan that outlines the steps, milestones, and timelines for implementing ServiceNow in a way that aligns with an agency’s goals and objectives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for government agencies to digitalise their operations and services, with many agencies implementing or accelerating digital government programs to meet the changing demands of citizens and stakeholders. While this acceleration has been significant, many government agencies are still optimising existing services and programs rather than building new ones.

Seventy-two percent of digital government programs accelerated in response to pandemic demands, but most are still optimising existing services and programs.

https://www.gartner.com/en/publications/transitioning-to-digital-government-roadmap

This highlights the importance of building an effective ServiceNow roadmap that can help government agencies optimise their existing workflows and processes, identify areas for improvement, and provide a clear and comprehensive plan for implementing ServiceNow in a way that aligns with their goals and objectives. By following best practices and involving stakeholders throughout the development process, government agencies can build a roadmap that is effective, efficient, and responsive to the changing needs of citizens and stakeholders, while also maximising their existing resources and investments.

Understanding ServiceNow Roadmaps

A ServiceNow roadmap is a detailed plan that outlines the steps, timelines, and milestones for implementing ServiceNow in a way that aligns with an organisation’s goals and objectives. A roadmap is typically created by a team of experts who work together to define the scope of the project, set timelines and milestones, and identify the resources required for successful implementation.

The main purpose of a ServiceNow roadmap is to provide a clear and comprehensive plan for implementing ServiceNow that aligns with an organisation’s goals and objectives. By defining the scope of the project, setting timelines and milestones, and identifying the resources required for successful implementation, a roadmap can help organisations ensure that they are making the most of their investment in ServiceNow.

The key components of a ServiceNow roadmap include the development process, timelines, and milestones. The development process typically includes several phases, such as planning, design, development, testing, and deployment. The timelines and milestones should be clearly defined and aligned with an organisation’s goals and objectives and these too should be regularly reviewed and updated as any project progresses.

A ServiceNow roadmap is a powerful tool that organisations can leverage to create the right environment for success. By following leading practices and involving stakeholders throughout the process, you can ensure that the roadmap is effective, efficient, and aligned with their needs and priorities.

The Benefits of a ServiceNow Roadmap for Government Agencies

A ServiceNow roadmap provides numerous benefits for government agencies that are seeking to optimise their operations and resources. Some of the specific benefits of a ServiceNow roadmap for government agencies include:

Increased Efficiency: By providing a clear and comprehensive plan for implementing ServiceNow, a roadmap can help government agencies streamline their workflows and processes, reducing the time and resources required to deliver services to citizens and stakeholders.

Improved Service Delivery: A ServiceNow roadmap can help government agencies identify areas where they can improve their service delivery, such as by automating manual processes, integrating systems and applications, and providing better visibility into data and analytics.

Cost Savings: By identifying the resources required for successful implementation and setting timelines and milestones, a ServiceNow roadmap can help government agencies reduce costs associated with delays, rework, and inefficient processes.

Better Risk Management: A ServiceNow roadmap can help government agencies identify potential risks and challenges associated with implementation, such as compliance issues, cybersecurity threats, and organisational resistance, and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.

Increased Collaboration: By involving stakeholders throughout the development process and aligning the roadmap with the agency’s mission statement and strategic and corporate plans, a ServiceNow roadmap can help government agencies build stronger relationships and foster collaboration among different departments and teams.

Enhanced Satisfaction: A ServiceNow roadmap can help government agencies enhance customer satisfaction, leading to higher engagement, loyalty, and trust.

• For citizens, a streamlined and automated service delivery process can mean faster and more reliable access to the services they need, leading to higher satisfaction and trust in government institutions.
• Industry partners can benefit from more efficient and transparent government operations, leading to a better business environment and increased investment.
• Internal staff can also benefit from improved workflows and processes, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

Leading Practices for Building an Effective ServiceNow Roadmap for Government Agencies

Building an effective ServiceNow roadmap requires careful planning, execution, and ongoing review and refinement. Here are some leading practices that government agencies can follow to ensure that their roadmap is effective, efficient, and aligned with their needs and priorities:

1. Conduct an Assessment: Assess current workflows, systems, and processes. This will help identify areas where ServiceNow can be most beneficial, as well as potential risks and challenges associated with implementation.
2. Set Goals and Objectives: Develop clear and specific goals and objectives for their ServiceNow roadmap. These should be aligned with overall strategy and mission and should be communicated clearly to all stakeholders.
3. Involve Stakeholders: Involve stakeholders throughout the development process to ensure that their needs and priorities are considered. Building a ServiceNow roadmap requires input and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, including IT staff, department leaders, and end-users.
4. Define Success Metrics: Define clear and measurable success metrics for their ServiceNow roadmap, such as increased efficiency, improved service delivery, and enhanced customer satisfaction. These metrics should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that the roadmap is on track.
5. Set Timelines and Milestones: Timelines and milestones should be clearly defined and aligned with the organisation’s mission and objectives. These should be regularly reviewed and updated as the project progresses.
6. Foster Collaboration: Building a ServiceNow roadmap requires collaboration and teamwork across different departments and teams. Foster collaboration by providing opportunities for stakeholders to share ideas and feedback, and by building a culture of continuous improvement.
7. Measure Progress: Regularly measure progress against the success metrics defined in their roadmap. This will help identify areas where they are making progress and areas where they need to adjust.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Building ServiceNow Roadmaps

While building a ServiceNow roadmap can provide numerous benefits for government agencies, it can also be a complex and challenging process. Some common challenges that government agencies may face when building ServiceNow roadmaps and strategies for overcoming them are:

• Limited Resources: Government agencies often operate with limited resources and staff, which can make it difficult to allocate the necessary time and resources to building a ServiceNow roadmap. To overcome this challenge, agencies should prioritise their goals and objectives and focus on the most critical areas for implementation.
• Organisational Silos: Different departments and teams within government agencies may have different priorities and goals, which can lead to organisational silos and a lack of collaboration. To overcome this challenge, agencies should foster collaboration and teamwork across different departments and teams and involve stakeholders throughout the development process.
• Changing Priorities: Government agencies may face changing priorities and goals over time, which can impact the scope and timeline of a ServiceNow roadmap. To overcome this challenge, agencies should regularly review and update their roadmap to ensure that it remains aligned with their current needs and priorities.
• Compliance Issues: Government agencies must comply with a wide range of regulations and policies, which can impact the design and implementation of a ServiceNow roadmap. To overcome this challenge, agencies should work closely with their compliance and legal teams to ensure that the roadmap is designed and implemented in a way that meets all regulatory requirements.
• Cybersecurity Threats: Government agencies are increasingly facing cybersecurity threats as they move more of their operations online and store sensitive data in the cloud. Implementing ServiceNow without a clear and comprehensive plan can increase the risk of cybersecurity threats, especially if the platform is not properly configured or integrated with other systems. To overcome this challenge, government agencies should work closely with their IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure that their ServiceNow roadmap includes robust security measures and protocols. This may include conducting regular security assessments, implementing strong access controls, monitoring, and analysing security logs, and training staff on best practices for cybersecurity.

Conclusion

Government agencies are facing increasing demands to deliver high-quality services to citizens and industry stakeholders while optimising their operations and resources. One way that agencies can achieve this is by implementing ServiceNow.

By following leading practices and identifying and overcoming challenges, government agencies can build an effective ServiceNow roadmap that helps them achieve their goals and serve their constituencies more effectively. By leveraging the power of ServiceNow and building a roadmap that aligns with their needs and priorities, government agencies can optimise their operations and resources and deliver high-quality services to citizens and stakeholders.

References:

1. https://www.gartner.com/en/publications/transitioning-to-digital-government-roadmap

You may have heard of GPT AI (Generative Pre-trained Transformer Artificial Intelligence) and it’s potential to revolutionise just about everything, including enterprise service management, by making business processes more efficient and cost-effective, freeing up we mere mortals while the bots take over. But as more businesses turn to AI-powered systems, it’s important to note that there is still a crucial role for human skills and expertise in maximising the efficacy of such systems.

A key benefit of GPT AI systems is their ability to automate routine tasks and processes, which obviously contributes to freeing up time and resources for employees to focus on higher-level – or more meaningful tasks. But it’s important to remember that human skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence are still going to remain essential to ensuring that these systems are beneficial.

Chatbots can provide quick-fire responses to common queries, but they might not (yet) be able to handle some of the more complex or even emotionally charged issues. In these cases, it’s important to have skilled customer service agents who can step in and provide the required support. If you start throwing insults at a chatbot, who knows what might happen!

GPT AI data analytics tools which are appearing by the day can now provide valuable insights into a business’ operations, but they may not be able to fully capture the nuances of complex business processes, and therefore provide the intuition that can make a difference. In these cases, it’s still going to be important to have employees who can interpret the data and make those informed decisions based on their own expertise, experience, and corporate knowledge.

There’s opportunity to also work alongside GPT AI systems with human skills and expertise. For example, Knowledge Management bots can be used to capture and share knowledge across teams, but human experts might need to curate and validate the information – especially if knowledge content changes frequently.

An important consideration when balancing AI systems with human skills is the potential for bias.

Fact: AI systems are as biased as the data they are trained on.

So, if the training data is biased, the system will be biased as well. Human oversight is crucial in ensuring that AI systems are making unbiased decisions or recommendations.

The key takeaway is that while GPT and other AI-powered systems can greatly enhance enterprise service management, they are not a replacement for human skills and expertise. Balancing the use of AI systems with the unique strengths that humans bring to the table will maximise the effectiveness of both.

This might even require a cultural shift towards viewing AI systems as tools to be used in collaboration with human employees, rather than as a replacement for them.

Businesses must also invest in training employees to work effectively with AI systems and ensure that AI systems are designed and implemented in a way that is transparent and easily understandable for human employees.

Ultimately, the human side of AI-powered enterprise service management is crucial in ensuring that businesses can fully reap the benefits of these systems.