Tricentis Exec Discusses How Automation Is Key to Building Resilient Digital Government Systems

Automation can bolster the resilience of digital systems that state and local government offices use to deliver public services, including processing tax payments and issuing emergency alerts, according to Ben Baldi, senior vice president of global public sector for Tricentis. In an article published on GovLoop, Baldi discussed how automation plays a central role in sustaining and protecting essential government services from evolving cyberthreats.

How Does Automation Strengthen Cyber Defense?

Baldi noted that automation can carry out time-consuming tasks, such as monitoring systems and running software tests, with minimal oversight. Automated testing, specifically, is critical to enable early detection of vulnerabilities and abnormal or malicious activity. Automation also validates system updates before launch, reducing the likelihood of outages and limiting the window of opportunity for attackers.

Additionally, automation ensures systems can scale instantly during emergencies or cyber incidents to prevent downtime when portals or alert systems face surging demand.

How Does Continuous Testing Build Resilient Infrastructure?

Baldi emphasized that cyber resilience requires continuous testing, from regression and stress testing to automated security assessments that uncover weaknesses before they can be exploited. Embedding testing earlier in the development cycle helps agencies avoid costly rework and prevents public-facing failures that erode trust.

How Does Preparedness Complement Automation?

More than just adopting technology, Baldi promotes fostering a culture that values readiness, collaboration and learning to create resilience. He said the shift begins with leadership but agencies must also prepare their teams for cyber risk management and interagency coordination through training and upskilling.

The executive also identified key practices to build a culture of readiness, such as cross-department collaboration, regular training, maintaining clear communication channels and post-incident reviews.