Technology and innovation is a critical part of Schenectady County, a county in the US state of New York that’s home to around 160,000 people, their homes and businesses. And that’s always been the case. Moreover, Thomas Edison and Charles Steinmetz, two renowned figures in the world of technology and engineering who changed the world with their innovations, once called the county home. Today, it continues to be the home of leaders of industry and future trailblazers creating new opportunities in research and innovation.
Digital technologies and solutions play a crucial role in underpinning this kind of innovation. However, more importantly for those that live and work in Schenectady County, they are also the backbone that enables the county government. It is an elected legislative body that determines county-wide policy, to maintain secure and critical infrastructure for the organisations and businesses delivering public services.
The Power of Technology Leadership
Gabriel Benitez joined Schenectady County in early 2019. He originally managed IT support services before subsequently taking on Deputy CIO and Chief Information Security Officer positions. The latter provided invaluable experience in an organisation where cybersecurity continues to be a top priority. He became CIO in May 2024. “In this role I’m effectively a liaison for technology to all other departments, especially our legislatures. Furthermore, I’m responsible for monitoring and understanding the latest trends in IT. I make recommendations to our departments based on that, the ongoing update and evolution of our technology, security response and strategy, and training and developing our team.”

Cybersecurity and Collaboration
As with any complex technology and IT environment, cybersecurity and risk management are critical across Schenectady County’s operating environment. Furthermore, they are a core focus for Benitez. Such a stance comes as a result of first-hand experience of the damage a cyber-attack can have. In 2018, prior to Benitez’s arrival, the county was attacked by Emotet malware. The virus entered its systems and infiltrated nearly every virtual local area network.
“The county was effectively shut down for a month or two computer-wise,” says Benitez of the attack. “It took some time and a lot of work to get back to full access and business as usual. So, when I joined in 2019 security immediately became one of my key concerns. As a result of my time as CISO here, everything around cybersecurity, potential threats and risk assessment is completely ingrained in the way I work.”