Former CIO for Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Barry Lowry, has led digital government initiatives that not only emphasize transparency and collaboration, but do so despite challenges from EU regulations, US cloud providers, and political pressure alike. Lowry’s approach focused on building alliances and fostering cross-department cooperation, recognizing the necessity for sharing data and integrated thinking throughout the public sector. While he faced resistance, Lowry’s strategic wins included the 2019 Data Sharing Governance Act and the successful development of digital services (i.e. the Covid app and MyGovID) that align with his specific three-circle strategy: regulatory compliance, quick wins, and long-term transformation. In an article about Lowry’s leadership and strategy entitled “Skills the Irish Government CIO Uses to Advance Digital Transformation,” Ian Campbell writes:

“Lowry considers the 2019 Data Sharing Governance Act his biggest achievement as CIO. Because the Irish government was set up as several legal entities, each with its own data structures and ways of working, a change in the law was needed to advance digital transformation. The Act is compliant with GDPR, which was crucial to provide the legal basis for public bodies to share data. ‘It helped make the noise go away about the murky use of data by governments,’ he says. ‘Every data-sharing agreement goes out to public consultation and then it’s published. It’s fully transparent.’”

Fr0ntierX’s multilayered approach to cybersecurity prioritizes privacy while minimizing vulnerabilities. Our solutions effectively neutralize potential cyber threats to provide enterprises with valuable insights and analytics without compromising confidentiality and data integrity.