Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) Participating in Governor's Tent at 2017 Illinois State Fair

Springfield, IL - Today, the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) unveils the agency's 2017 Illinois State Fair display in the Governor's Tent. The theme is "FORE! Score...and Stay on Par with Cybersecurity" and features an interactive golf game to help fairgoers become more aware of cybersecurity risks.

DoIT staff will be on site at the booth from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. every day in the Governor's Tent to greet visitors and share information about technology transformation at the State of Illinois. DoIT officially became a state agency on July 1, 2016 and impressive progress has been achieved in just over a year.

Hardik Bhatt, DoIT Secretary Designate and Chief Digital Officer stated, "The State of Illinois' digital transformation is placing Illinois in a leadership role across the nation in areas such as the use of mobile technologies, capturing the value of data and establishing Illinois as the first state to establish itself as a Smart State. Along with this progress comes a responsibility to simultaneously increase cybersecurity efforts for our state employees and the residents of Illinois. Our message at this year's State Fair will assist in that effort."

Earlier this week, on Monday, August 7, Governor Rauner signed House Bill 2371 requiring cybersecurity awareness training for state employees to better defend Illinois from cyber-attacks. State employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats and awareness training is believed to reduce the risk of threats by as much as 70 percent.

DoIT's presence at the Illinois State Fair will bring many engaging and entertaining ways to interact with visitors, while providing valuable awareness on cybersecurity.