The Ukraine-Russia conflict began when the Russian military invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Yet the cybersecurity and cyber warfare elements of this conflict began before initial combat action. Ukraine was hit with numerous cyberattacks against its government and banking systems in the lead-up to the conflict, with experts blaming Russia for the cyberattacks. And within the first 48 hours, multiple U.S. agencies noted that cyberattacks from suspected hackers in Russia increased by over 800%.

If you have been looking for the right time to sell your technology product or service to the state, local and education (SLED) market, now is the time to act. With thirty-six states beginning their fiscal year on July 1st, now is the time to position yourself to take advantage of a confluence of once-in-a-lifetime conditions that have left the SLED market booming with opportunity. Here are some of the factors driving that opportunity:

New Leadership

On December 8, 2021, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released its 2022 annual top 10 priorities list identifying the most pressing technology and policy issues that state CIOs are prioritizing for the upcoming year.

Adhering closely to the U.S. federal government’s top legislative priorities for 2022, state chief information officers (CIO’s) have once again ranked cybersecurity as their top priority for 2022, following an already established decade-long trend in this direction.