For the sixth year running, Cook County has been lauded for its digital savvy, coming in eighth place in the over-one-million population category of the 2025 Digital Counties Survey. The award, a nod to counties that push the boundaries in tech to boost cybersecurity and public services, will be handed out at the NACo Annual Conference on July 11 in Philadelphia, as reported by Cook County's official news release.
"At Cook County, we believe that technology is an essential tool for making government more responsive, equitable and resilient," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle illustrated. The Policy Roadmap that aims to facilitate Connected and Open Communities is at the heart of their approach. Enhancing services for residents and bolstering cybersecurity have been cornerstones, with initiatives like multilingual translation solutions and courthouse Wi-Fi upgrades highlighted, Cook County detailed in their announcement.
As reported by Cook County, CIO Tom Lynch credited the accomplishment to the tech team's collaboration, innovation, and dedication. Cook County's technological developments in the past year include tackling digital equity, harnessing AI governance, and promoting public health data transparency—a response to modern demands for improved infrastructure and service delivery.
Among the county's significant advances, the one that stands out is the development of Generative AI guidelines and the countywide Security Control Assessment as a framework for cybersecurity risk management. During its beta phase, the user engagement for the mobile-friendly, bilingual property tool, CookViewer 3.1, hit an adoption rate of 88%, demonstrating a high user buy-in for tech upgrades, the county's news announcement mentioned.
Interested individuals are encouraged to visit Cook County's Bureau of Technology website for further insights into their advancing tech-driven services and initiatives that continue to earn them recognition on a national level.
