Idaho to spend $4.7M more on computer network upgrades

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho will dedicate $4.7 million more in federal coronavirus aid funding to upgrade its computer networks and security.

A state panel unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday.

The funds will upgrade equipment and services overseen by the state's Office of Information Technology Services.

The agency's administrator Jeff Weak told the state's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee that the pandemic has "profoundly changed how Idaho state government operates," the Idaho Press reported.

The sudden shift from office work to working from home required substantial upgrades to the state's computer systems. The agency was initially allocated $5.2 million in federal coronavirus aid money on May 4.

The Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee allocated an additional $2 million in June to upgrade the state's firewalls.

The funds approved Wednesday include $2.3 million for network and infrastructure upgrades, $2.3 million for security and compliance and an additional $119,300 for professional services.