Indiana has a new state chief information officer, as Tracy Barnes was selected by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb to the position beginning on March 30.
“Tracy offers the vision and skills essential to growing the digital strategy required to power great government service,” Gov. Holcomb said. “His combination of private sector and public service experiences will ensure the state is on the cutting edge of technology, cybersecurity and policy.”
Since 2017, Barnes has served as the chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. In this role, Tracy assists the Lt. Governor with the management and leadership of the executive office, the business office, and four state agencies including the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD), Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).
“Tracy has a bold vision for state government that inspired our entire staff to think bolder, act faster and constantly find new ways to better serve Hoosiers,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch. “He spearheaded the implementation of the State’s electronic Grants Management System, transformed how we deliver broadband to rural communities and challenged our agencies to make diversity and inclusion a priority. I am so proud to see him step into this new role and use his talents to modernize our evolving state and agency needs.”
Barnes brings significant business leadership and information technology experience to his role, having previously served as Deputy Auditor and IT Director for the Indiana Auditor of State.
Additionally, he was president and CEO of ENTAP, Inc. which designed and delivered effective information technology solutions to organizations in various industries across the globe.
Barnes has been recognized as Inc. Magazine's 9th Fastest Growing Black Entrepreneur and has received accolades from Top 50 Indiana Companies to Watch, the TechPoint MIRA awards, and IBE Governor's Award for Achievement in Technology.
Barnes earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from Butler University and a certificate from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Using technology to remote work for State of Indiana employees
Due to the unprecedented new environment we're in, IOT has diligently worked the past few weeks to enable better remote work options for state employees.
IOT developed a site with in-depth FAQs help.iot.in.gov for products that may be utilized during remote work. Moving forward, this is the primary channel where IOT is posting customer-facing support documentation.
The goal is to enable as much end-user self-support as possible.
- Due to the potential of having sensitive information in the answers, these are behind authentication. Any state user should select Sign in with Microsoft on the left side of the screen.
IOT has put together documentation for numerous products and tools that can be helpful to end users in facilitating remote work:
- Citrix
- Desktops (Setting up work desktop at home)
- Jabber
- Mapping Network Drive
- Microsoft Teams
- Office Online/Office 365
- OneDrive for Business
- Self-Service Password Management
- Virtual Private Network
- Windows Virtual Desktop
How to set up Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the extra layer of security on top of your network password. Working remotely, you are more likely to encounter a scenario where MFA is required. To be prepared, you can setup MFA now.
Go to: https//:www.in.gov/core/info_employees.html.
Click on ‘Multi-Factor Authentication.’
Click on ‘Multi-Factor Authentication again.’
Type in your network credentials.
NOTE: The username must be formatted as Domain\Username.
Example: IN-Shared\JDoe
Continue reading the directions at help.iot.in.gov.
Windows Virtual Desktop
IOT has started providing a new product called Windows Virtual Desktop Service that allows agencies to create a pool of Microsoft Azure Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) instances sized to their need. This product creates a secure, ephemeral desktop experience that provides connectivity to the state network and is accessible through a web browser on a user’s home machine. When the user closes the session, the session is terminated, and all data NOT stored on a State device is lost.
Since IOT developed WVD a couple weeks ago, more than 6,000 accounts have been created, allowing state employees using Windows Virtual Desktop to complete their jobs.
If your agency has WVD and you want to learn how to use it, go to our FAQ page.
What are you using to communicate with your coworkers while working remotely? If you are like a lot of people, you are using Microsoft Teams.
IOT has pushed Microsoft Teams to all agencies, where you can easily collaborate and communicate with meetings, calls and chats, and share and edit files all in one place.
Teams usage has grown drastically compared to the beginning of the month, as more employees get used to the tool.
Teams Function | Mar. 19 - 25 | % Increase | Mar. 12 - 18 | % Increase | Mar. 5 - 11 |
Messages in Teams Channels | 27,181 | 69% | 16,095 | 207% | 5,247 |
Messages in Individual/Group chats | 371,340 | 93% | 192,705 | 151% | 76,690 |
Calls | 10,320 | 164% | 3,903 | 1373% | 265 |
Meetings | 6,386 | 190% | 2,201 | 750% | 259 |
Request a Team Today!
To ensure Teams have all the required details and the system is properly set up, a user must complete a submission form to IOT.
Note: A Microsoft Team is not required for Teams Meetings. 
- To request a new Office 365 Group, complete our request form.
- IOT will review the request for accuracy. Most requests are approved within 1 to 2 business hours.
- The owners specified in the request will receive an email notification from Microsoft telling them that their new Office 365 Group has been created. Owners can check to see if there group has been created by going to Outlook on the Web.
- Once the group has been created, a new Team can be created from the Office 365 Group.
You must use your agency's acronym at the beginning of your Team's name.
For example, if you work for INDOT, IDEM or DWD, then your Team’s name should look like this:
- INDOT TeamName
- IDEM TeamName
- DWD TeamName
For videos and step-by-step instructions for Teams, there are categories with several FAQs here.
Cybersecurity awareness for remote work
While working from home during this pandemic, be aware of scammers and hackers who can use the crisis as a distraction against you.
Every home device or wireless connection is a potential entry point. Be smart and careful about what emails and links you open.
Here are some ways scammers and hackers can find you easily:
- Connecting to an unsecured public hotspot to check e-mail messages.
- Clicking a link in an e-mail to confirm personal information without verifying who is the sender.
- Sending sensitive or confidential information in an unencrypted e-mail.
- Opening e-mail attachments from unknown sources.
- Posting sensitive or confidential information to social networking sites.
During this time, make sure to watch for emails and misinformation about the coronavirus:
- Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to get you to buy products that aren’t proven to treat or prevent the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores. At this time, there also are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus.
- Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources. Visit cdc.gov for accurate information.
- Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and health and medical supplies when, in fact, they don’t.
- Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government.
- Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer or device.
- Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into donating. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it.
You are your number one defense against security threats. Stay aware and stay safe.
Vote for Indiana in StateScoop Top 50 awards
Public voting is now open for the StateScoop 50 awards, celebrating the top 50 leaders in state government. This year Indiana has one project and four people nominated.
Vote here early and often, as there is no limit on how many votes you can cast.
Indiana nominations are as follows:
- State Leadership – Anushree Bag (IOT)
- State IT Innovation of the Year – Access Indiana
- State Up & Comer – Sarah Schelle (DOC)
- State Cybersecurity Leader of the Year: Hemant Jain (IOT)
- State Cybersecurity Leader of the Year: Bryan Sacks (IOT)
Please take some time to cast votes to support our state and fellow employees. Voting concludes on May 1 and winners are announced on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.