Ever to Conquer - Week of November 24, 2025
📘 Featured Resources
1. Securing & Managing Google Workspace in the Age of AI
https://redleif.io/securing-and-managing-google-workspace-in-the-age-of-ai/
Modern public-sector organizations rely on Google Workspace to collaborate at scale, but AI-enabled tools introduce new layers of complexity around data governance, access, risk, and compliance. This resource breaks down what IT and security leaders need to strengthen — from identity and access controls to configuration posture — using the tools and environments they already have. For any team responsible for protecting collaboration environments, this is a practical guide for aligning Workspace security with mission, policy, and agency-level risk.
2. BYOD in Higher Education: Myths, Realities & a Smarter Path Forward
https://redleif.io/byod-in-higher-education-myths-realities-and-a-smarter-path-forward/
Higher-ed institutions are navigating an explosion of personal devices on campus — and the old assumptions about BYOD no longer match the reality of how students learn, work, and expect to interact. This piece helps CIOs and academic tech leaders separate the myths from the real operational risks and opportunities, offering a grounded perspective on how to maintain security and governance without compromising student experience or digital equity. For institutions rethinking device strategy, accessibility, or security posture, this is a timely, strategy-forward read.
📰 Top Story This Week
Cities Use Federal Cybersecurity Grants to Strengthen Core Stack
Mid-sized cities across the U.S. are approving cybersecurity upgrades using funds from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) investing in endpoint detection, SIEM modernization, zero-trust-aligned identity tools, and secure domain migration.
Why it matters: SLCGP funding is quietly becoming one of the most important accelerators for local government cyber maturity. As more cities modernize their foundational security stack, expectations for vendors and partners will rise accordingly - especially around governance, reporting, and long-term resilience.
Actionable: If you’re supporting state/local customers, now is the time to map where your capabilities align with SLCGP priorities and to help agencies ensure they are fully leveraging year-two funding before deadlines approach.
🚀 Innovative Company on Our Radar
NetApp: Powering Public-Sector Outcomes Through Data Governance
NetApp helps public-sector organizations make the most of the data and infrastructure they already have - enabling teams to connect, safeguard, and operationalize information across legacy systems and modern cloud environments.
What we love: NetApp’s “data fabric” approach fits the reality government leaders operate in: fragmented systems, overlapping environments, and decades of data scattered across multiple platforms. They prioritize data governance, consistency, and availability, enabling entities to deliver better services with the data they already own - not the data they wish they had.
Learn more: https://www.netapp.com/industries/government/

This episode digs into one of the most overlooked challenges in government IT: the complexity of APIs and legacy key management. Nate and Burch break down why APIs power nearly every service experience, where agencies typically fall behind, and how virtualized keys strengthen interoperability and security at the same time. If you're a public-sector technology leader focused on service delivery, modernization, or reducing hidden risk, this conversation lays out exactly what to fix first.
Watch the full episode here
📅 Upcoming Ecosystem Events
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Event
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Dates
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Utah AI Summit 2025
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Dec 2, 2025 – Salt Lake City, UT
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Envision: State & Local Government IT Summit
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Dec 3–4, 2025 – Huntington Beach, CA
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Federal Data Strategy 2026 Kickoff Symposium
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Jan 14–15, 2026 – Virtual
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