WCICC director proposes Varonis data‑governance purchase to reduce cyber risk

John Malloy, director for WCICC/IT, asked the Board to note a technical correction in the WCICC operating budget and presented an improvement request for a Varonis data‑governance package.

Malloy described the proposed purchase as "a data governance package; it deals with data exfiltration and it deals with data labeling, prepares us for the AI that's we're all encountering right now." He recommended moving $62,500 from an operating line into the proposed improvement request to reflect the intended CIP categorization. Malloy also noted a cost‑share arrangement: the IT department is allocated roughly 60% city / 40% county, and some improvement approvals depend on Sioux City’s concurrence.

Why it matters: The request seeks to reduce cyber risk and better control sensitive data as county systems face evolving AI and security challenges. Supervisors asked for clarity on administrative splits and noted personnel/administration funding shifts (the city library’s partial funding of IT positions was cited). The Board received the operating budget and the technical reclassification; Malloy said final approval of improvement items depends on intergovernmental agreement.

Next steps: The Board received the budget as presented and asked staff to include the improvement request in future CIP discussions; county staff will coordinate with Sioux City and other WCICC partners before bringing final approval to the Board.