Cybersecurity and Multi-factor Authentication
PONDERINGS FROM PADUCAH - November 15, 2023
Cyberattacks are on the rise exponentially. More and more online systems are breached each year, stealing thousands of user’s credentials.
In this day of most everything transacted online or connected to the internet, the best cyberprotection for yourself or your business is to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA).
MFA is especially important for online accounts where you store bank or credit card information or personally identifiable details such as your date of birth or social security number.
Multi-factor authentication requires more than one method, not a password alone, of authenticating yourself.
When MFA is enabled, a text message, email, or six-digit token from a smartphone app can be used to verify that it’s truly you trying to access your accounts instead of a hacker.
MFA provides protection in the event of a data breach. If a hacker gains access to your username and password, they still can’t access your account because they can’t authenticate without your extra layer of verification.
To protect Paducah, the City’s Technology Department is rolling out MFA to its team members to provide extra layers of protection. I urge you to seek out MFA wherever possible.
(written by Technology Department Director Eric Stuber)
311 Online Portal and App
PONDERINGS FROM PADUCAH - October 17, 2023
In order to stay relevant, businesses must connect with customers via the platforms that their customers use.
This is true even for city governments.
We want to ensure that we are offering a variety of ways for people to connect with the City to request services. With this goal in mind, we launched the Paducah 311 online portal and app in January 2022.
These platforms allow citizens to go online or download an app to enter requests for city services like brush pickup, code enforcement, and potholes (to name a few).
The response has been phenomenal.
Since the launch, we have received over 3,250 requests for service through the portal and app. We still take requests via phone calls, but this response shows that we are filling a gap and allowing our citizens to connect with us in a way that works for them.
Paducah may not be a business, but we do have customers.
We may not be selling a product, but we are selling an experience.
And I would argue that the experiences we have in the City that we call home are some of the most important.
(written by City Clerk and Director of Customer Experience Lindsay Parish)
City Government Month - September 2023
PONDERINGS FROM PADUCAH - September 19, 2023
There’s a day or month to celebrate anything. This month includes Labor Day, National Preparedness Month, World Tourism Day, and even Ask a Stupid Question Day.
Another September celebration is City Government Month. Before you say ho-hum, this post is to honor my more than 300 co-workers.
When I first think of City government, I think of services – policing, fire protection, solid waste collection, street repair, parks and recreation activities, etc.
But, that’s not the whole story.
City government is Officer Blake Quinn, Deputy Fire Marshal April Tinsman, Grants Administrator Hope Reasons, Recreation Superintendent Taylor Morsching, and hundreds of great people working for Paducah.
You more than likely know at least one person who works for the city. This month, ask them what they do and how they work to make Paducah better.
Then, share the knowledge. That’s a great way to celebrate City Government Month.
(Written by 16-year employee, Communications Manager Pam Spencer)
