By Steven Allen Adams, The Journal
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new contract between West Virginia and Google for cloud-based communications and productivity services could open the state up to security issues when transmitting sensitive information, according to the state’s neighbor to the east.
The Virginia Information Technologies Agency’s Supply Chain Management Division put together an overview in May regarding the commonwealth’s messaging environment. The agency expressed concerns about the security of using Google for secure messaging. The document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
“The messaging environment is not approved by the commonwealth’s security office to transmit sensitive data,” the report stated. “This often becomes challenging for our customers to find alternative solutions.”
Virginia made an agreement with the Colorado-based IT management firm Tempus Nova in 2016 to use Google’s G Suite service, including the Gmail for messaging, as well as other Google services. Previously, VITA had a 12-year contract with defense contractor Northrup Grumman for Virginia’s entire IT infrastructure, which included Microsoft products. The commonwealth left that contract two years early after an audit recommended switching to multiple vendors for individual IT needs…
