The 2010s brought with it a transformative wave of enhanced tech capabilities to the federal government, enabling applications that have fundamentally changed how the government provides services to its citizens. These new technological capabilities, however, have also created unprecedented challenges that have tested the government’s ability to adapt to a faster, more digitally focused environment for global communication and commerce.
As we enter a new decade, these technological advancements will not only put more of our existing systems to the test, but they will also redefine what it means to be a citizen of the United States and the world.
Here are five ways that technology and its capabilities will shape our government over the next 10 years.
1. Fraud will become a weapon of war.
As more governments turn to the digital realm to help operate their services and systems, we will continue to see bad actors take advantage of lapses in security and oversight. Fraud will be used as a tool by state and nonstate actors to destabilize financial systems and governments. By doing so, these nefarious groups will be able to generate significant monetary resources to grow both the complexity and scope of their activities.
In addition, following Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we can reasonably expect to see fraud used as a tool to continue interfering with elections. Adding uncertainty to election results over time could threaten individuals’ trust in representative government structures, so governments must take proactive steps to ensure that threats of these types are curbed.
2. The U.S. military will add a new branch to defend against cyber threats.
Considering the technology revolutionize government 2020s
