Several D.C.-area counties rank high for their citizen-facing government websites on the Center for Digital Government’s 2021 rankings.
The 19th annual Digital Counties Survey, done in collaboration with the National Association of Counties, judges county websites on the best technology practices, including initiatives that streamline delivery of government services; encourage open data, collaboration and shared services; enhance cybersecurity, and contribute to disaster response and recovery efforts.
It also weighs cybersecurity; citizen engagement experience; budget and cost control, and hiring and retaining top IT professionals.
“The coronavirus pandemic underscored the urgent need for bold, cutting-edge approaches to serving our residents, and technology has played a major role,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “This year’s Digital Counties Survey winners have demonstrated true leadership when it was needed the most.”
Counties were ranked in categories based on their populations.
Prince George’s County, Maryland, scored the best in its category, with counties with a population of 500,000 to 1 million, ranking first in the nation. Judges said:
“Prince George’s County has a best practices-level comprehensive cyber strategy and management. Last year, a Chief Information Security Officer and Security Analyst were brought on board. A virtual Security operations Center and a risk-management tool ‘Security ScoreCard’ were implemented across 27 local jurisdictions. The impact of phishing and ransomware attempts was reduced by 90 percent.”
Other local winners this year include:
- Among counties with a population of 1 million or more: Fairfax County, Virginia, ranks No. 5. Montgomery County, Maryland, ranks No. 6.
- Among counties with a population of 250,000 to 499,999: Prince William County, Virginia, ranks No. 3.
- Among counties with a population of 150,000 to 249,999: Arlington County, Virginia, ranks No. 2.
This is the 10th time Arlington County has ranked within the top three counties, four of those years ranking as No. 1.
The full list of Digital Counties Survey 2021 Winners is posted online.
