Identity and Access Management (IAM) is often thought of as a set-and-forget layer in security — the digital lock and key to your organization’s most sensitive systems. But the truth is, in both government agencies and enterprises, IAM is full of cracks most people don’t see. And in today’s world of escalating cyber threats, these cracks aren’t just weaknesses — they’re open doors.
At MVS360, we’ve studied the most overlooked IAM risks in government and enterprise environments. The statistics below may surprise you — and perhaps make you rethink how secure your current IAM setup really is.
Source:SecurityScorecard Government agencies rely heavily on a complex web of contractors and third-party partners. But with every new partner comes a new access point into your systems — and not all partners have the same security posture you do. Over half of breaches at U.S. federal contractors start with third-party attack vectors, far exceeding global averages.
Consequence: A single weak link in your supply chain can lead to sensitive data exposure, national security risks, and long-term reputational damage.
Source:Venminder, Infosecurity Magazine Nearly half of ex-employees still have access to corporate systems for days or even weeks after they leave.
Consequence: This isn’t just a breach risk — it’s a silent, lingering vulnerability. Whether through malicious intent or simple oversight, old credentials can be exploited, giving attackers a ready-made backdoor.
Source:Unit 42 – Palo Alto Networks Cloud services promise agility and scalability — but they also introduce complexity. Nearly a quarter of cloud security incidents are traced back to IAM misconfigurations, such as overly permissive roles, missing MFA, and inconsistent policy enforcement.
Consequence: One misconfigured setting can expose vast amounts of sensitive data to the world. Cloud exposures can be instantaneous and global.
Source:Unit 42 – Palo Alto Networks Privileged accounts are the crown jewels for attackers. Yet, many organizations have far more privileged accounts than employees, due to service accounts, old credentials, and poor identity lifecycle management.
Consequence: Every unused or unmanaged privileged account is an open invitation for compromise, multiplying your attack surface.
Source:Cybersecurity Intelligence Analyses of the most damaging cyberattacks in 2025 found weak IAM controls — such as excessive privileges, delayed deprovisioning, and unmonitored accounts — as major contributors.
Consequence: Breaches fueled by IAM failures result in financial loss, regulatory penalties, and brand damage.
These statistics aren’t just warnings — they’re proof that traditional IAM approaches are no longer enough. That’s where IAM360 comes in.
With advanced identity lifecycle automation and role-based access control, IAM360 offers a single, unified identity platform for all your enterprise applications.
Key Benefits: – Centralized authentication & authorization across all applications, including third parties. – Automated provisioning & deprovisioning to eliminate stale credentials instantly. – Role-based access control (RBAC) to reduce privilege sprawl. – Continuous compliance checks to maintain secure configurations. – Streamlined identity management for improved operational efficiency.
Every access point. Every identity. Every time.That’s IAM360.
Revolutionizing Healthcare Compliance Inspections with MVS360’s GenAI Toolkits
In the complex realm of healthcare compliance, ensuring strict adherence to both state and federal regulations is paramount. Enter Gen AI: a transformative technology that is revolutionizing healthcare inspections by streamlining processes and mitigating disparities in documenting identified deficiencies during facility surveys. This article explores the innovative prowess of MVS360’s GenAI toolkits, which offer a fresh perspective on identifying, analyzing, and documenting instances of non-compliance with unmatched precision.
Identifying Applicable State and Federal Codes
At the core of MVS360’s GenAI technology is its extraordinary ability to quickly pinpoint the relevant state and federal codes that are critical for healthcare investigations. Through sophisticated algorithms, it navigates the complex regulatory landscape with ease, ensuring that inspections are meticulously aligned with the specific codes relevant to each case. This precision guarantees comprehensive and accurate compliance assessments, setting a new standard in regulatory adherence.
Smart Survey Collection
The GenAI toolkits from MVS360 are at the forefront of redefining how critical survey data is collected during healthcare inspections. By leveraging intelligent algorithms, the toolkits offer tailored, dynamic, and responsive surveys, moving beyond the limitations of the traditional one-size-fits-all method. This innovative approach equips healthcare professionals with insightful, precise assessments, significantly enhancing the quality of compliance evaluations.
Effortless Documentation
Documentation becomes a breeze with MVS360’s GenAI toolkits. Designed to intelligently organize and produce detailed reports, these tools significantly reduce the documentation burden on healthcare professionals. Their seamless integration with existing systems ensures a smooth transition and easy access to crucial information, streamlining the compliance documentation process and boosting efficiency.
Interconnected Solutions
Operating within an interconnected healthcare ecosystem, MVS360’s GenAI toolkits enhance synergy by integrating flawlessly with other healthcare technologies. This interconnectedness leads to a deeper understanding of healthcare processes, ensuring that inspections are not only more efficient but also integral to improving overall healthcare quality and compliance.
Empowering Healthcare Teams with Accurate Reports
The ability of MVS360’s GenAI toolkits to generate comprehensive reports in prescribed formats empowers healthcare teams with documentation that is not only medically precise but also easily understandable by all stakeholders. This clarity and accuracy in reporting enhance patient care outcomes by ensuring that all involved parties are well-informed.
Closing Thoughts
MVS360’s GenAI toolkits not only shorten survey times and standardize the documentation process but also introduce a level of efficiency and fairness previously unseen in healthcare inspections. Their capability to identify, analyze, and document non-compliance with such precision makes Gen AI a beacon of innovation in healthcare compliance. As the industry evolves, Gen AI exemplifies the transformative impact of technology, heralding a new era of streamlined, accurate, and equitable healthcare inspection processes.
MVS360 stands as a beacon of innovation for state and local agencies, perfectly aligning with the urgent need for AI-powered enhancements in government processes. With MVS360’s expertise and the introduction of the new AI accelerator toolkit, public sector agencies now have the opportunity to leverage AI’s power to significantly improve efficiency, accuracy, and services to constituents.
The digital transformation has initiated a significant shift, reshaping the dynamics of how societies engage with technology and governance. An important aspect of this transformation is citizen engagement, a dynamic process that involves active participation, collaboration, and feedback from the public.
This transition towards digital governance is important to maintain the relationship between the government and its citizens. As we delve into this transformative journey, five key influences emerge as critical drivers in the government’s digital shift. Here’s how these factors can redefine citizen engagement and set a new standard for public service.
Ease of Use
At the heart of successful digital services lies a simple yet profound principle – ease of use. Government applications must be designed with the user in mind, ensuring simplicity, adaptability, and intuitiveness across devices. By incorporating tutorials, guides, and tooltips, we can empower citizens to navigate digital platforms effortlessly.
We integrate guidance screens, which are integral to creating a positive and user-centric environment within digital applications. By serving as navigational aids, these screens enhance user experience by providing clarity, promoting feature discovery, empowering users, and streamlining the onboarding process. The role of guidance screens in facilitating user navigation becomes increasingly vital, contributing to the overall success of modern applications.
Accessibility
Digitally transformed applications must be inclusive, providing equitable access to all citizens, including those with visual impairments.
The applications are implemented using WCAG 2.0 Level AA methodology which signifies a commitment to creating inclusive and accessible user interfaces.
We ensure your application is accessible to users with visual impairment and follow accessibility standards and guidelines to make the application usable for everyone. We test the application with accessibility tools and conduct user testing with individuals with different abilities.
Adaptability in Integrations
Government applications must be designed to seamlessly integrate with third-party services and tools, ensuring smooth data exchange and interoperability. This flexibility allows government entities to swiftly respond to new market demands and technological advancements, ensuring that digital services remain relevant and effective over time.
We offer Single point integration, a practice of integrating various systems, applications, or services through a centralized or single point of connection. For the seamless integrations, we provide pre-built adaptors and these are specialized modules that understand the communication protocols and data formats of specific systems. Some of the integrations are payment gateways, AAMVA integrations (to seamlessly transfer information between NMVTIS (National Motor Vehicle Title Information System), CDLIS (Commercial Driver’s License Information System) and S2S (State-to-State))
Extending to Business Partners
By collaborating with business partners, governments can extend the reach of their services, enabling citizens in digitally underserved areas to access vital resources. This approach not only enhances service provision but also creates a sense of community and partnership between the government, businesses, and the public.
MVS360 successfully implemented our services to the State of Connecticut with the prebuilt modules developed. Our prebuilt modules accelerated the modernization process by providing reusable components, tools, and patterns. This approach facilitates the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of data from legacy databases to modern databases or cloud-based storage solutions in a seamless manner.
Translator Services
Automation of language translation processes reduces costs, making language access more feasible for organizations. This cost-effectiveness allows for the allocation of resources to better serve diverse linguistic communities, dismantling financial barriers that might hinder the delivery of services.
MVS360’s pre-built Gen AI Accelerator tool kit can be integrated with state websites and applications to automatically translate new content and trigger review by state language access staff. The tool kit ensures the translations meet digital accessibility standards, maximum readability in the target language. Integrating the online translation services help LEP individuals comprehend the documentation and schedule updates information.
Conclusion
Embarking on this digital transformation journey requires a strategic partner capable of navigating the complexities of government digitalization. MVS360 stands at the forefront of this revolution, specializing in developing modular applications designed for the government sector. Our approach focuses on creating scalable, user-friendly, and accessible digital services that can easily integrate with third-party tools, support linguistic diversity, and extend the government’s reach. With MVS360, government entities can confidently step into the digital future, knowing they have a partner committed to excellence, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of exceeding citizen expectations.
In the dynamic landscape of digital transformation, the protection of sensitive information isn’t merely a requirement; it’s a profound responsibility. The public sector, a crucial player in this evolving era, is recognizing the indispensable role of data privacy. This blog delves into the significance of data privacy in the public sector, exploring how it contributes to effective governance and builds public trust.
Importance of Data Privacy in the Public Sector
Effective Government Services
At the heart of a citizen-centric approach lies the assurance of data privacy. Prioritizing the protection of sensitive information fosters citizen confidence. When individuals trust that their data is handled securely, it significantly enhances the delivery of government services. The image accompanying this section vividly captures the essence of this trust-building process.
Legal Compliance
Beyond being a mere requirement, adhering to data privacy laws becomes a commitment to ethical governance. The public sector’s dedication to legal compliance ensures that data is handled responsibly, fostering a culture of trust and accountability.
Mitigating Risks
Safeguarding against data breaches and cyber threats is paramount for the public sector to maintain operational integrity. The image associated with this segment emphasizes the proactive measures necessary to mitigate risks and protect sensitive information.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Incorporating data analytics and technology in the public sector allows for evidence-based decision-making. This, in turn, leads to the formulation of more effective policies and resource allocation. The blog illustrates this concept with an engaging image that visually communicates the power of data-driven decision-making.
Characteristics and Competencies in the Public Sector
Confidentiality
Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is accessible only to authorized individuals, safeguarding citizens’ personal data. The blog explores how prioritizing confidentiality is integral to building and maintaining public trust.
Integrity
Data integrity guarantees the accuracy and reliability of information. The public sector’s commitment to data integrity is portrayed in an accompanying image, emphasizing the importance of trustworthy data.
Transparency
Transparent communication about data collection, usage, and protection practices enhances public confidence and supports accountable governance. The blog explores how transparency is a cornerstone in building a relationship of trust between the public sector and citizens.
User Control and Consent
Empowering individuals with control over their data is essential. The blog outlines the importance of obtaining consent from citizens before collecting, processing, or sharing their personal information, emphasizing the respect for individual privacy.
Incident Response and Management
A well-prepared public sector organization should have the capability to promptly detect, respond to, and mitigate the impact of any data security incidents. The image associated with this section visually communicates the importance of a robust incident response and management system.
Data Governance Frameworks
Establishing and maintaining effective data governance frameworks ensures standardized processes for data management, reducing errors or unauthorized access. The blog emphasizes how a strong governance structure is foundational to maintaining data integrity and security.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, MVS360’s modular integration approach includes standardized data privacy services within the public sector to enhance both security and trustworthiness. As the public sector continues to evolve in the digital age, prioritizing data privacy emerges as a cornerstone for building a secure and trusted governance framework.
The Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Cybersecurity
In today’s hyper-connected digital landscape, the relentless growth of cyber threats poses a formidable challenge to organizations and individuals alike. As cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated, the need for advanced technologies to bolster cybersecurity defenses has never been more critical. To address these challenges, cutting-edge technologies are being utilized, and one notable solution in the battle against cyber threats is Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI). Let’s delve into the significant role that Generative AI plays in enhancing cybersecurity.
Challenges in Cybersecurity:
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs):
APTs, characterized by their sophisticated and prolonged nature, pose a significant challenge. These threats often go undetected for extended periods, enabling attackers to extract sensitive information without immediate detection.
Zero-Day Exploits:
Cybercriminals frequently exploit vulnerabilities that are unknown to security vendors, referred to as zero-day exploits. This poses a challenge as organizations may not have timely patches or defenses in place to counter these emerging threats.
Insider Threats:
Malicious activities originating from within an organization, whether intentional or accidental, present a unique challenge. Identifying and mitigating insider threats without impeding regular operations is a delicate balance.
Phishing Attacks:
Phishing remains a pervasive challenge, with attackers devising increasingly sophisticated methods to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information. Traditional approaches struggle to keep pace with the evolving tactics of phishing campaigns.
Generative AI – A solution to Cyber security challenges
Threat Detection and Prediction:
Generative AI excels in analyzing vast datasets to detect patterns indicative of potential threats. By learning from historical data, it can predict and recognize emerging threats, offering a proactive defense against APTs and other advanced attacks.
Adaptive Defense Mechanisms:
Unlike static security measures, Generative AI adapts in real-time to evolving threats. Its dynamic nature ensures that defenses are always one step ahead, providing a robust strategy against zero-day exploits and other rapidly changing attack vectors.
User Behavior Analysis:
Generative AI scrutinizes user behavior patterns to identify deviations from the norm, effectively detecting insider threats. This feature adds an extra layer of security by pinpointing unusual activities that may be indicative of malicious intent.
Phishing Detection and Prevention:
Leveraging its ability to analyze diverse data sources, Generative AI is instrumental in identifying and preventing phishing attacks. By understanding patterns in email content, URLs, and user behavior, it enhances the accuracy of phishing detection mechanisms.
Collaborative Threat Intelligence:
Generative AI facilitates collaborative threat intelligence by sharing insights across interconnected networks. This collective approach enhances the overall cybersecurity posture, enabling organizations to pool their knowledge and stay resilient against evolving threats.
Conclusion:
Generative AI has emerged as a potent tool to mitigate cybersecurity challenges. Its capacity to comprehend and produce text resembling human language, analyze data, and identify anomalies is crucial for protecting against ever-evolving cyber threats. Nevertheless, emphasizing the responsible and ethical application of this technology is of utmost importance.
MVS360 is a cutting-edge technology solution specialized in cyber security tailored for government sectors, harnessing the power of Generative AI. Our solutions encompass predictive threat modeling, anomaly detection, and adaptive defenses, providing a proactive approach to cybersecurity. With a commitment to ensuring the highest level of protection for sensitive government data, MVS360 stands at the forefront of cybersecurity, blending expertise with state-of-the-art AI solutions.
Cybersecurity challenges and mitigation measures in Modernization process
Modernizing is vital for organizations seeking efficiency, improved services, and competitiveness in today’s fast-changing digital world. Yet, with modernization, significant cybersecurity issues arise, demanding attention to safeguard sensitive data and vital infrastructure. This article examines the primary cybersecurity challenges in modernization and the necessary measures for a secure digital transformation.
Challenges:
Legacy Systems Integration: Integrating modern systems with legacy infrastructure can expose vulnerabilities. Older systems may lack robust security features and support, making them attractive targets for cyberattacks.
Increased Attack Surface: As organizations modernize, the expansion of digital services, devices, and interconnected systems increases the attack surface. A larger attack surface provides more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.
Insider Threats: Modernization efforts may inadvertently increase insider threats, as employees with malicious intent or negligence may exploit vulnerabilities created during the transition.
Rapid Technology Advancements: Keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies is challenging. What is secure today may not be tomorrow, leading to the risk of outdated security measures.
Data Privacy and Compliance: Ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulatory standards becomes more complex with modernization. Meeting these requirements while adapting to new technologies can be challenging.
Mitigation Measures:
Comprehensive Risk Assessment: Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and prioritize security measures. An understanding of the risk landscape is crucial for effective mitigation.
Continuous Training and Awareness: Invest in cybersecurity training for employees at all levels. Promote awareness of modern threats and best practices to foster a security-conscious culture.
Modern Security Frameworks: Adopt modern security frameworks and standards, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, to ensure the incorporation of up-to-date security measures.
Data Encryption and Security: Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to protect it from unauthorized access, even in the event of a breach. Integrate security into the modernization process from the outset. Security-by-design principles ensure that cybersecurity is a fundamental consideration in every aspect of the modernization project.
Incident Response Plans: Develop and test incident response plans to effectively identify, contain, and mitigate security incidents that may occur during the modernization process.
Collaboration and Information Sharing: Share threat intelligence and collaborate with industry peers and government agencies to stay updated on emerging threats and best practices.
Compliance and Auditing: Continuously monitor and audit systems to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and best practices, and promptly address any deviations.
Regular Security Assessments: Conduct regular penetration tests and security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the modernized infrastructure.
Modernization is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and efficiency. However, cybersecurity is equally essential in this context. MVS360 helps in conducting risk assessments, offering training, utilizing modern security frameworks, and fostering collaboration so that organizations can effectively address modernization-related challenges. A security-first approach, along with ongoing compliance, auditing, and security assessments, ensures the security of modernized systems and sensitive data. Cybersecurity in modernization is an ongoing, dynamic process that demands vigilance, adaptability, and a strong commitment to safeguard digital transformations.”
In an increasingly digital world, State and Local Governments play a vital role in serving the public. However, many government agencies across the country rely on legacy systems that are not equipped to meet the demands of modern technology. The solution? Incremental modernization. This article explores the numerous advantages of adopting incremental modernization for mission-critical applications managed by State and Local Governments and how we can revolutionize the process, making it faster and more efficient than ever before.
The Challenges of Legacy Systems
Legacy systems have long been the backbone of State and Local Governments, and providing critical services to constituents. While these systems may have once been state-of-the-art, they now face several challenges:
Outdated Technology: Legacy systems are often built on outdated technology, making it difficult to integrate with modern solutions or meet current security standards.
Inefficiency: Legacy systems can be slow, making it a tedious process for employees and customers.
Lack of Flexibility: Legacy systems are inflexible, making it challenging to adapt to changing regulations and requirements.
High Maintenance Costs: Maintaining legacy systems can be costly and time-consuming due to a shortage of skilled professionals who can work with older technology.
Security Vulnerabilities: Legacy systems may not be equipped to handle the evolving threats in the digital landscape.
Hard to find support personal: Most of the legacy systems are built using mainframes and finding resources to support mainframe legacy applications are becoming challenging to agencies.
Advantages of Incremental Modernization
Incremental modernization refers to the gradual and step-by-step improvement of legacy systems, rather than a complete overhaul. This approach offers several benefits for State and Local Governments:
Cost-Effective: Incremental modernization allows State and Local Governments to spread the cost of upgrades over time, reducing the financial burden compared to a complete system replacement.
Minimized Disruption: Since modernization is carried out incrementally, it minimizes disruption to State Agency operations. Employees can adapt to changes gradually, ensuring a smoother transition.
Enhanced Productivity: Modernization efforts can lead to improved system performance, reducing processing times, and providing employees with the tools they need to work more efficiently.
Improved User Experience: With modernization, State Agencies can offer customers a more user-friendly experience through online services, mobile applications, and self-service kiosks.
Better Security: Incremental modernization allows for the implementation of advanced security measures to protect sensitive data and reduce vulnerabilities.
MVS360: Revolutionizing Incremental Modernization
MVS360 is a game-changer in the realm of incremental modernization for State and Local Governments. It offers several advantages that make the process even more efficient:
Prebuilt Modules: MVS360 comes with prebuilt modules designed specifically for State and Local Governments. These modules can be easily integrated into existing systems, reducing the need for custom development and saving time and resources.
Quick Deployment: With MVS360, State and Local Governments can deploy modernization solutions in a matter of weeks rather than months or years, significantly accelerating the modernization process.
Scalability: MVS360’s modular approach allows State and Local Governments to scale their modernization efforts as needed. This flexibility is especially valuable as State and Local Government requirements change over time.
Compliance and Regulations: MVS360 modules are designed to ensure that State and Local Governments remain compliant with the latest regulations, making it easier to adapt to evolving requirements.
Cost-Efficiency: MVS360’s streamlined approach to modernization reduces costs associated with custom development, testing, and deployment.
Conclusion
Incremental modernization is the key to bringing legacy systems into the 21st century. The advantages are numerous, including cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced security. With the introduction of MVS360, State and Local Governments have a powerful tool at their disposal to make the modernization process quicker, more efficient, and less disruptive. As technology continues to evolve, incremental modernization is a strategic choice that empowers State and Local Governments to better serve their customers and adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape.
The Challenges of In-Person License Plate Transfer at DMV Offices
The process of transferring license plates in person at DMV offices can often be a challenging and frustrating experience due to a variety of reasons, including:
Long Wait Times
Understaffing
Complex Requirements
Customer Service Issues
Inflexible Scheduling
To address these challenges, many states are working to modernize their DMV processes by offering online services, appointment scheduling, and self-service kiosks. These efforts aim to reduce the need for physical visits to the DMV, improve customer service, and make the experience more efficient and convenient for individuals.
Solutions from Digital Processes
Digitalizing the DMV’s plate transfer process can bring several benefits to people, including convenience, efficiency, and improved customer service. Here are some ways in which individuals can benefit from this digital transformation:
Convenience and Transparency: Digitalizing the plate transfer process allows individuals to complete various tasks online, such as submitting documentation, filling out forms, scheduling appointments, checking the status of applications, and making payments. This transparency can reduce uncertainty about the process and minimize errors in data entry. The information can be electronically validated, reducing the need for detailed explanations by DMV staff. Digitalizing the plate transfer process improves transparency and accountability in DMV organizations, positively impacting staff ethics and performance.
Increased Efficiency: With online services and digital processes, people can complete plate transfers more quickly and avoid long wait times at physical DMV locations, leading to a more efficient experience. Digitalization allows individuals to renew their plates from the comfort of their homes, reducing the need for in-person visits for routine transactions. It offers 24/7 access, allowing individuals to initiate plate transfers. Streamlining repetitive tasks and reducing manual workloads enables DMV staff to focus on more complex and value-added activities. Digitalization enables staff to collaborate across departments or agencies, sharing information and resources more efficiently, leading to more effective teamwork and improved communication.
Easy Access to Documentation: Digitalization often leads to a reduction in paperwork. Instead of filling out physical forms and mailing documents, people can submit digital copies and electronic signatures, simplifying the process and reducing the risk of errors. Digitalization allows DMV staff to access relevant documentation quickly, keeping track of important records such as vehicle titles, insurance information, and previous registration details to facilitate better processes. Reducing the need for physical forms benefits not only DMV staff but also contributes to environmental sustainability.
Improved Customer Service: Digital platforms often provide customer support options, such as online chat, email, or phone assistance, making it easier for individuals to get help and information when needed. Some DMVs have developed mobile apps that make it even more convenient for people to access services, check their vehicle’s status, and receive notifications. Digitalization improves the quality of customer service provided by DMV staff, leading to more positive interactions with stakeholders and citizens.
Overall, digitalizing the DMV’s plate transfer process can make life easier for people by streamlining procedures, enhancing accessibility, and providing a more user-friendly experience. It can reduce the stress and inconvenience often associated with traditional in-person DMV visits. However, it’s important for state governments to ensure that digital platforms are secure, user-friendly, and accessible to all residents, including those who may have limited access to technology.
With Electronic Vehicle Registration (EVR), a digital license plate transfer service, MVS360 is introducing cutting-edge technology into the plate transfer and renewal process for DMVs and their customers. What’s interesting is that MVS360 is approaching DMVs with modular deployment techniques, allowing new technology deployments to become operational within weeks.
EMPLOYEE GUILLERMO TORRES ADMINISTERS AN EYE TEST AT A DMV OFFICE IN WESTMINSTER. (IRFAN KHAN / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
For generations, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has been a crucible of nerves for teens anxious to complete the rite of passage that is a first driver’s license, older residents hoping to keep theirs and most everyone in between.
Never a day at the beach, with sometimes cartoonishly long lines, a visit to one of its offices has nevertheless been essential.
Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency is rethinking the way it operates.
In an effort to keep people from getting infected with or spreading the coronavirus, the department since March has expanded its DMV Express program statewide to speed up the Real ID process and allowed for vehicle title transfers, registrations, duplicate driver’s licenses and driver’s license renewals and other services to be completed online.
Online transactions went from about 1.8 million in July 2019 to nearly 2.2 million last month.
“COVID was the impetus for us to speed up that process,” DMV spokeswoman Anita Gore said. “We’re doing everything we can to push people out of the field offices, to keep everybody safe.”
How it all works out remains to be seen. The effectiveness of some changes may be hard to clearly gauge until after the agency works through the backlog caused by a six-week shutdown of DMV offices to the public. In fact, the pandemic may have to subside before many of the changes fully take.
YALY TRAN, CENTER, STUDIES A DRIVING TEST HANDBOOK AS SHE WAITS FOR THE WESTMINSTER DMV FACILITY TO OPEN. (IRFAN KHAN / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
On a recent Thursday, a long line formed outside one DMV office in Westminster. The first person had arrived at 3 a.m.
An hour and a half before the office opened at 8 a.m, 77 people waited. Some camped out in lawn chairs; others spread blankets on the concrete and worked on crossword puzzles as ’80s band UB40’s cover of “Red Red Wine” played over the loudspeakers.
But making the line longer were people who either didn’t need to be there or could have started their paperwork online. They included a woman who arrived two hours before the office opened to get a Real ID, but who hadn’t uploaded her documents ahead of time for an express checkout, and a 79-year-old man who had arrived at 5 a.m. to replace a lost driver’s license — something he could have done from home.
Erin Volz watched as a DMV employee directed a man — who smiled and thanked him — to the back of the line.
“Well, he’s cheerful,” Volz said as she waited at the front of the appointment line to get her Real ID. Volz had been able to go online and upload all her documents ahead of time. As she looked at the growing line, she felt relieved.
“With everything going on,” she said, “I don’t want to be too close and around too many people.”
The DMV closed its more than 160 field offices to the public March 27 after workers expressed concern about the spread of COVID-19. At least 41 DMV employees reportedly contracted the coronavirus.
The shutdown forced the department to reschedule over a million appointments.
When offices reopened in June, it was with new health and safety protocols.
CLIENTS STAY SIX FEET APART WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR TURN AT DMV OFFICE IN WESTMINSTER. (IRFAN KHAN / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
“Six feet, everyone on the tape mark for me please,” a worker reminded customers in front of the DMV.
There were so many lines marked with tape that it felt like admission to an amusement park — red for appointments, pink for the kiosk machines, blue for driver’s licenses and yellow for registration.
Varissa Lopez directed customers into lines and into the building when seats opened up in the waiting area. The office limited the number of people allowed in and spaced blue chairs six feet apart.
Lopez, who has worked at the DMV for around 11 months, called it “organized chaos.”
GRICELDA ALBA SANITIZES HER STATION AFTER SERVING A CLIENT AT THE DMV OFFICE IN WESTMINSTER. (IRFAN KHAN / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
“We’re really trying to invent new ways to serve the public,” she said. “The whole stereotype is that DMV employees don’t care about the public, but we care a lot.”
A room previously used for storage had been converted into an applications room to help speed up the process before a customer reached a window. Workers outside checked customers in, reviewed their documents and offered to take down their number so the department could tell them their place in the virtual queue.
“Before, you walked in the door and got a number,” Lopez said. “You might be waiting two hours, and when you get to the window you don’t have everything — you wasted your day.”
Some DMV employees wore face shields and wiped down counters after each customer. On this Thursday, they served over 700 people.
When Lopez stands at a window, she directs each person to wait on a sticker six feet from her counter. After she calls them forward, she steps back. And when they step back to the sticker, she moves forward.
“We call it the DMV dance,” Lopez said with a laugh.
The DMV’s Virtual Field Office has allowed employees to still serve customers — but online. As of earlier this month, representatives had helped over 500,000 customers that way.
Despite the shift, some services still needed to be done at a DMV office.
Bryce Hadfield, 16, was there to get his learner’s permit. After his original appointment was canceled, the department rescheduled it for July at the Costa Mesa DMV. He and his father, Lee, arrived to find the office chain-linked off.
“I don’t understand why they would make an appointment somewhere that’s closed. They know it’s closed; it’s the DMV,” he said before he paused for a second to think. “Well, it’s the DMV, so maybe they don’t know.”
After waiting over three hours for his son to take the test, Lee questioned why it couldn’t be administered online.
“Any experience I’ve ever had with the DMV, rarely is it a pleasant one,” he said.
DRIVING TEST EXAMINER MARIA “DELIA” BROUGHTON, LEFT, GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO ALEXANDRA MARTINEZ AT THE DMV OFFICE IN WESTMINSTER. (IRFAN KHAN / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
Perhaps the most visible change at field offices is the behind-the-wheel drive test.
Victoria Pluma waited in her car as an employee placed a floor mat inside her family’s blue Toyota Highlander and cocooned the passenger seat in a shell of plastic.
Her test had been postponed because of the coronavirus crisis, along with those of almost 300,000 other Californians.
“Since they rescheduled everything it was really scary for me,” Pluma said. “I really need to pass this time.”
Less than 10 minutes after pulling away from the curb, Pluma’s examiner had tallied up her score and delivered the bad news. She would not be getting her driver’s license today. She tried to console the crestfallen young woman.
“You’ve got a lot of time left on your permit,” the examiner said.
That same morning, it was Alexandra Martinez’s turn. DMV employee Maria “Delia” Broughton did the honors, making sure the car was as safe as possible for the close-contact ride she and the 19-year-old Martinez were about to take. Broughton wore a white mask and a smock that reached down to her knees.
Martinez said she had gotten plenty of practice after her April driving test was canceled. But that didn’t stop her dad — outfitted in a face shield — from praying for a passing result.
Considering the up to 20 tests she administers a day, Broughton said she tries to reduce the amount of time she spends in a car with people.
“You’re hopping from car to car,” the 12-year DMV veteran said. “You try to keep the applicant safe as well.”
Minutes after driving away from the DMV office, Martinez steered her car back to the lot. Broughton stepped out to tally the young woman’s errors. She had made a few: Not looking over her shoulder for a lane change or stopping neatly behind the line at a stop light were just two.
Broughton told Martinez how many errors she committed before declaring:“That’s a passing score…. Congratulations.”
Justin Boggess takes a nap while waiting for DMV to open in Westminster. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
To avoid spending billions of dollars maintaining legacy technology, motor vehicle departments across the country have made a push to modernize their complex licensing and registration systems with new off-the-shelf or customized software. Though no two states’ systems are exactly alike, officials say the key to a smooth DMV modernization is more than just swapping out servers, but adopting new methods of governance and ensuring their offices are staffed with the right skill sets.
Though DMVs aren’t known for showcasing the best quality-of-service that government has to offer, modernizing IT systems is one way that agencies have begun addressing common issues like long wait times and a lack of digital services. California has seen dozens of system outages, accidental voter registrations and botched Real-ID rollouts caused by its aging systems, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to overhaul DMV leadership last year. Minnesota, meanwhile, spent a decade and more than $100 million trying to build an in-house DMV IT system, called MNLARS, before Gov. Tim Waltz announced last May the state would abandon the project. In an audit of MNLARS, Mark Mathison, the state’s IT audit director, found it was ultimately a lack of organizational structure prevented the project from staying within scope.
Other state directors similarly told StateScoop that non-technical aspects of the modernization process are the most important — and are sometimes the most difficult to prepare for. Idaho reorganized its DMV management structure in 2015 before securing a vendor for its modernization, state DMV director Alberto Gonzalez said, because the resistance to changing business processes is “just so powerful.”
STAGNANT STRUCTURES
“When you have a system that’s been in place for 40 years, which means you have work processes, you have internal policies and organizational structures that maybe haven’t changed in two or three decades, that to me is foundationally the biggest roadblock to successful modernization,” said Gonzalez, who led the state’s DMV modernization effort before becoming department administrator in 2017.
The same problem was identified by California’s “reinvention strike team” dispatched by Gov. Newsom in Jan. 2019 when it discovered the DMV’s organizational structure “no longer makes sense” for how fast-paced and data-driven government services have become. “Inefficiencies” in training exacerbated the problem, according to the strike team’s audit.
Other state administrators said they’ve identified similar aversion to change among government officials and DMV field workers who use legacy systems every day. When Oregon procured a a commercial off-the-shelf, or COTS, DMV software system in 2017, the department also employed a vendor to teach “soft skills” to DMV administrators and field workers, as well as conduct surveys that asked employees what they were struggling with. Over time, according to Lauren Mulligan, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, the surveys showed where the agency could improve in its outreach to employees, and the vendor acted as a third-party mediator between managers and employees. Mulligan said today the department attributes a large part of its modernization success to its investment in people, not just technology.
“You can put new technology in place, but if your staff aren’t prepared, willing and able to use it, it won’t be successful when you roll it out,” Mulligan said. “A big roadblock some places face is just helping staff get on board and stay on board.”
The organizational structure Minnesota used when it began its modernization in 2007, for example, prevented IT staff and administrators from sharing their opinions about system changes, Mathison said.
“What you find with the IT side is when you build it, and you decide how you’re going to do it, [administrators] tell the IT folks, ‘This is how it’s going to be done,’” Mathison said. “I recall a deputy commissioner in one of our larger agencies once said, ‘You know, sometimes we need the IT people to tell us if we’re making bad decisions.’”
GOOD GOVERNANCE
But simply hiring programmers that could scale or alter the legacy licensing and registration systems has become difficult, said Mike Dixon, Colorado’s state DMV director. Many licensing and registration systems were built decades ago on outmoded programming languages like COBOL.
“It wasn’t just for the ability to build a program that would reduce our wait times,” Dixon said, “but it was also a cost protection, where you have these old systems and you had to get retirees to work on them because it’s COBOL and that kind of stuff. It’s really hard to find people to do that work.”
Mulligan, Oregon’s DMV spokesperson, said her agency had to completely retrain new hires to learn COBOL instead of taking advantage of the computer science education they already had. When Oregon’s legacy system was operational, Mulligan said, call center staff couldn’t communicate with workers in the field, preventing data-sharing between the two groups. The limitations not only made hiring skilled staff more difficult, Mulligan said, but highlighted a lack of communication between divisions within the agency.
“You have to have good governance over the project management,” Dixon said. “The project management by itself is only as good as long as you have check-ins along the way.”
Dixon and his team assembled a senior-level executive committee to lead the project and to work with Colorado’s county title and registration offices, while in Oregon, the state’s transportation department assembled a network of more than 90 field workers, IT staff and administrators to consult with each other and act as “change agents” throughout the modernization. In Idaho, Gonzalez said that when he joined the state, he noticed “there was no structure” in place to ensure decision-making was consistent. Gonzalez gathered IT, financial services and DMV officials to form a “modernization management team” dedicated to showing the public and lawmakers that their funding was being spent responsibly.
“There needed to be a shared responsibility for how the project was being driven, how the money was being spent and what the resource issues were,” Gonzalez said. “We basically said, ‘We all own this thing, and whether we succeed or we fail, it’s on us.’”
