Protect Public Data in Your Government Agency

Defend your government agency against cyber threats and stay compliant with automation and secure cloud storage.

Local governments are seeing a sharp rise in cyberattacks. These threats are becoming more frequent and more advanced. As an IT leader, protecting your agency’s data is no longer optional. Ransomware, phishing, and insider threats now target public agencies of every size.

From 2022 to 2023, cyberattacks on state and local governments surged. Ransomware jumped 51%. Malware attacks climbed 148%, according to the Center for Internet Security.

With sensitive data and key services at risk, taking action to improve cybersecurity is essential.

State and local governments face a barrage of cybersecurity challenges:
  • Stop ransomware attacks. Hackers can encrypt government data, disrupt city services, and extort taxpayer money.
  • Prevent phishing. Fraudulent emails targeting employees can steal credentials or unleash malware. All it takes is one click for an incident to snowball.
  • Control insider threats. Unauthorized data access or leaks—whether accidental or malicious—pose serious risks, especially if access controls are too broad.
  • Upgrade aging systems. Outdated software without patches makes your agency an easy target. Legacy systems, common in government, often contain vulnerabilities that hackers exploit.

No agency is immune. Whether you’re in a small town or a large state, cyber incident costs include downtime, recovery expenses, legal liabilities, and loss of public trust.

Strengthen Your Cybersecurity with These Strategies

Create multiple layers of defense. Combine secure technology, such as Laserfiche’s encrypted cloud-based content management system, with robust processes and training. Here’s how you can dramatically improve your security with a few key steps:
  • Move to secure cloud storage. Shift from vulnerable on-premises servers to Laserfiche’s secure cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based content management with encryption keeps data safer than scattered local drives. In the event of an attack, you can quickly restore clean data.
  • Limit access with strict controls. Use role-based access and identity management so employees only see what they need. Implement multi-factor authentication for remote access.
  • Simplify compliance and security. Stay on top of security frameworks – such as CJIS, NIST,HIPAA, Section 508, and others. Laserfiche automates compliance with audit trails, real-time alerts, and document tracking, so you can spot unusual activity and keep your agency secure.
  • Monitor in real time. Respond faster. Deploy real-time threat monitoring on your networks and content systems with Laserfiche’s AI-powered automation tools.

This defense-in-depth approach is critical for public sector organizations that must protect data on limited budgets.

Enhance Security and Compliance with Laserfiche

The Idaho Department of Correction faced increasing challenges to manage sensitive information securely and efficiently. Laserfiche solutions helped them automate document tracking, tighten security, and simplified compliance.

How much more secure and efficient could your agency become with secure digital workflows? Learn how an ECM system can safeguard your agency’s data, ensure compliance and maintain public trust, along with advice on how to procure the right platform for your organization with our ebook, the ECM + AI Buyer’s Guide.

Laserfiche Series: Your Guide to Upgrade State and Local Government Service Technology

Learn from public sector leaders who have successfully modernized their government services with Laserfiche.

Replace Outdated Technology with Digital-First Services

Give staff better tools, reduce costs, and speed up government services with modern GovTech.

Outdated systems slow operations, frustrate staff, and make government services harder to access. If your team spends more time fixing system gaps and manually tracking data than serving citizens, it’s time for an upgrade.

How System Upgrades Improve Government Services

Help staff work more efficiently and securely by replacing outdated technology with Laserfiche Enterprise Content Management solutions. Here’s how:
  • Enhance cybersecurity. Guard against insider threats and third-party risks with modern GovTech platforms that strengthen protection and ensure compliance.
  • Simplify audits. Stay compliant with automated digital records that make tracking, retrieving, and verifying information effortless.
  • Quickly deliver citizen services. Speed up permit processing, approvals, and record management with AI-powered automation.
  • Lower maintenance costs. Cut expensive upkeep and reduce the hassle of constant system patches common with legacy systems.
  • Support remote access. Securely access records and complete tasks from anywhere

Improve Citizen Services with Digital-First Technology

Oakland County, Michigan, replaced outdated systems with Laserfiche to provide 24/7 record access and increase transparency. The result? Faster public access to information, better collaboration, and more efficient services.

Is outdated technology keeping your agency from delivering the best citizen services? Start by replacing manual tasks, digitizing records, and integrating automation. Learn more about how ECM can fuel your modernization efforts, as well as how to find the right platform for your organization with our ebook, the ECM + AI Buyer’s Guide.

Laserfiche Series: Your Guide to Upgrade State and Local Government Service Technology

Learn from public sector leaders who have successfully modernized their government services with Laserfiche.

Beyond Efficiency: How Generative AI from Laserfiche Unlocks Strategic Value for the Public Sector

In recent months, the conversation around generative AI (Gen AI) has moved beyond productivity and hype. While early use cases in the public sector focused on time-saving and process efficiency, the broader narrative is evolving toward the transformational potential of AI to unlock insights, improve public services, and anticipate citizen needs. As public sector leaders confront rising service expectations, tight budgets, and growing data complexity, the strategic deployment of Gen AI particularly through enterprise content management (ECM) and process automation presents a powerful path forward.

Laserfiche is at the forefront of this evolution. By embedding Gen AI capabilities such as Smart Fields into our platform, we enable agencies, municipalities, and educational institutions to move beyond automating tasks and begin unlocking institutional knowledge at scale. This article explores the forces shaping Gen AI adoption in the public sector and the unique value Laserfiche brings to this new chapter.

Technological Innovation: From Automation to Insight

Across the public sector, Gen AI is transitioning from a tactical tool to a strategic enabler. Initial use cases centered on automating repetitive work summarizing documents, generating email drafts, or assisting with data entry. But the technology’s next wave is defined by its ability to reveal patterns, surface actionable insights, and synthesize complex information across siloed systems.

Laserfiche’s Smart Fields exemplify this shift. By using AI to detect and understand content in real time, Smart Fields reduce manual data tagging and improve metadata accuracy. This goes far beyond convenience. It allows public sector organizations to create more intelligent content repositories, where relevant information is surfaced proactively and used to inform decisions from public health trends to policy implementation to citizen engagement strategies.

Moreover, the Laserfiche platform integrates Gen AI into core business processes, enabling more responsive workflows. For instance, natural language processing (NLP) capabilities can be used to classify incoming service requests, assign priority based on urgency, and trigger automated routing ensuring faster and more consistent delivery of services.

Changing Customer Behavior: From Task Automation to Data Stewardship

To fully realize the benefits of Gen AI, public sector organizations must rethink how they manage data and measure outcomes. The old model of digitizing for the sake of efficiency is giving way to a new imperative: leveraging digital assets for continuous learning and improvement.

This shift demands a cultural change. Agencies need to embrace their role as stewards of public data not just curators of records but strategic users of information to drive policy and operational excellence. In this context, Laserfiche acts as a connective tissue between structured processes and unstructured data, enabling agencies to treat every document, form, or communication as a potential source of insight.

Equally important is the need for responsible innovation. Citizens and students expect transparency in how AI is used, especially in areas like eligibility determination, grading, or benefits administration. Public sector leaders must pair Gen AI adoption with robust governance, including audit trails, consent tracking, and AI explainability features. Laserfiche’s commitment to compliance and transparency ensures that agencies can adopt AI with confidence.

Navigating Regulatory Change: Building Trust and Alignment

Governments around the world are moving quickly to regulate AI, with a growing emphasis on fairness, accountability, and data protection. In the United States, executive orders and state-level legislation are beginning to shape expectations for the use of AI in public services. The European Union’s AI Act, although not directly binding on U.S. institutions, is setting the tone globally by categorizing AI use cases by risk and imposing strict obligations for public sector applications.

Laserfiche is designed with these realities in mind. Our platform includes role-based access controls, automated retention policies, and end-to-end encryption to help organizations align with privacy and data management requirements. More critically, the platform’s explainable AI capabilities provide clarity into how decisions are made an essential safeguard in regulated environments.

As regulations mature, public sector leaders will need technology partners that offer more than just AI features. They will need systems that are auditable, secure, and aligned with emerging compliance frameworks.

Growth Opportunities: Serving Citizens and Students More Intelligently

The greatest untapped opportunity for Gen AI in the public sector lies in its potential to personalize and improve the citizen and student experience. Today’s constituents expect the same responsiveness from government that they receive from the private sector yet many agencies are hampered by legacy systems and data silos.

With Laserfiche, organizations can unify disparate data sources and automate multi-step interactions, allowing for intelligent service delivery. Imagine a student applying for financial aid who is guided through the process via an AI assistant that understands eligibility rules, validates documentation in real time, and tracks application status all integrated with a secure ECM backbone. Or a constituent filing a complaint about street repairs who receives proactive updates based on workflow progress, without ever needing to make a follow-up call.

These scenarios are not science fiction. They are being implemented today by forward-looking agencies using Laserfiche to reimagine how the government and education serves its stakeholders.

Conclusion: The Strategic Role of Gen AI in Public Service

As the Wired article suggests, the real value of Gen AI is not just in how fast it operates but in how deeply it can transform how organizations think and act. For the public sector, this means using AI not simply to accelerate processes, but to deliver on the promise of better governance, equity, and trust.

Laserfiche’s AI-powered platform, including capabilities like Smart Fields, helps agencies shift from reacting to anticipating, from managing data to unlocking insight, and from compliance to transformation. For leaders seeking to modernize operations, improve service delivery, and embrace the future of digital governance, the time to act is now.

The opportunity is no longer just to do more with less. It is to do better with more, more intelligence, more context, and more strategic value from every interaction.

See More on how Laserfiche is unlocking a new era in productivity and insight.

A New Era of Productivity with Smart Fields and Smart Chat

Use natural language to get the data you need, no coding required. Smart Fields and Smart Chat — two new powerful Laserfiche AI capabilities — are now available on Laserfiche Cloud.

Smart Fields revolutionizes document processing by using natural language descriptions to intelligently extract information, regardless of the document’s source or format. Smart Fields can be reused across diverse document types, enabling creative, custom solutions that can scale effectively, all while minimizing maintenance and setup costs. You can now apply Smart Fields to your most frequently used document types including:
  • Financial Services: Streamline the processing of purchase orders and invoices by automatically capturing line-item details and multi-value fields such as amounts, dates, and vendors.
  • Human Resources: Simplify onboarding and support employee development by extracting key information like employee IDs, job titles, and hire dates from employment contracts or performance reviews.
  • Information Technology: Enhance security management and accelerate incident response by automatically recording change logs and access permissions.
  • Legal: Improve contract management by identifying contract types, calculating expiration dates, and automatically scheduling contract renegotiation reminders.

Alongside Smart Fields, we’re also excited to introduce Smart Chat, a feature that fundamentally changes how our customers interact with their documents. Information and insights can now be delivered directly through conversation using Smart Chat’s intuitive interface that delivers instant, tailored responses to user queries. By using natural language, you can ask questions about documents and receive concise answers, complete with reference links.

Smart Chat empowers Laserfiche users to engage in insightful conversations with their documents, opening up new possibilities across various industries:
  • Education: Enhance access to specific student records, faculty information, and administrative documents.
  • Financial Services: Improve risk mitigation through the analysis of regulatory documents and internal policies.
  • Government: Optimize the retrieval of crucial information within public records or legal documents.
  • Healthcare: Facilitate more personalized health information and support.
  • Manufacturing: Quickly locate essential details regarding suppliers, parts, or logistical data.

Smart Chat can also access all Laserfiche support documentation, allowing admins and users to receive support without having to leave their current workspace. 

Experience a new level of efficiency and insight in how you work with your documents. If you are a self-hosted customer, Smart Fields will be available this fall with a Laserfiche 12 Subscription license. If you’re interested in learning more and booking a demo, visit laserfiche.com/ai

Overview of Laserfiche Records Management

Overview of Laserfiche Records Management

White Paper: Connect the Dots and Unlock the Power of Data in Insurance

The Intelligent Document Processing Playbook

According to CIO Dive, employees can spend up to eight hours a day finding data. In addition to losing work hours, issues with locating data can lead to errors in business operations and a poor experience for customers.

In this playbook, you’ll discover specific areas where intelligent document processing (IDP) can help your organization address these kinds of business challenges, giving back time to your employees to do high-value work.

What Is Intelligent Document Processing?

IDP is the process of extracting data from an image or document and formatting it in a way to be used in a process or system.

With AI, organizations can extract data through a simple, prompt-based approach — asking to retrieve data such as invoice numbers, contract signatories or a student’s GPA across thousands of documents.

In other words, with IDP, you’re using software to read something for you and get the key points, so you can use the data to inform a business decision or automate a process. If you leave this kind of task to human workers, there can be delays (most computers work faster than people) or errors (even the most detail-oriented humans make mistakes).

Intelligent Document Processing Speeds Up Departments

When it’s easier to access, organize and process your documents and data, departments benefit. Read on to learn how IDP can be a boon for teams throughout your organization.

Finance & Accounting

Using IDP can help your Finance or Accounting department maintain the speed and accuracy it needs to be an effective steward of finances.
  • Process invoices effectively
    • Automate data extraction to make content searchable (by vendor name, date, etc.).
    • Speed up payment cycles by automatically routing invoices for review, approval and signature.
  • Match purchase orders fast
    • Use automation to match PO data, requiring only a simple approval to move forward.
  • Expedite expense reports
    • Get employees reimbursed on a faster timeline with digital forms and automated form routing to stakeholders.

Human Resources

IDP enables your HR department to spend more time on its employees and less time reviewing and processing forms.
  • Onboard employees faster
    • Make it easy for employees to fill out their paperwork online and for employers to approve it with automated document routing.
  • Streamline benefits enrollment
    • Gather employee benefits preferences with ease using online forms, and ensure this information is kept safe using records management tools.

Read Our eBook To Learn More

Want to learn more about the benefits of implementing IDP at your organization? Download our full eBook, “The Intelligent Document Processing Playbook” here.

The K-12 Leaders Forum

The K-12 Leaders Forum

eBook: The Intelligent Document Processing Playbook

Content Management is Critical for Web Accessibility

Addressing A Priority for Higher Education

A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article highlights a major challenge for colleges and universities. They must update millions of web pages and digital assets to meet new accessibility rules. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These changes set clear rules for web content. Public colleges and universities must now act to make their digital platforms accessible to everyone.

As the Chronicle states, “Colleges must update existing digital content, including course materials, to meet these standards. They must also follow these standards for any new content they create or use.”

Many schools use a decentralized system for content creation. Websites, learning platforms, and marketing teams all produce content separately. Now, they must change their approach. Schools need to shift from fixing issues when they arise to making content accessible from the start.

Understanding the Challenge

Colleges and universities create a vast amount of digital content. Many struggle to track:
  • The number of web pages they have.
  • Who creates and manages content.
  • How accessible their content is for people with disabilities.

The new rules require a structured approach. Schools must improve content management, workflows, and compliance tracking. This is a big change for institutions that have operated without central control.

Steps to Improve Web Accessibility with Content Management

To meet these requirements, colleges and universities should use better document, content, and process management systems. Here’s a simple plan to get started:

1. Centralize Accessibility Resources in Managed Repository
  • Audit Documentation: Store accessibility guidelines, reports, and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards in one place.
  • Version Control: Keep track of content updates to avoid confusion.
  • Training Hub: Provide tutorials and best practices to help faculty and staff create accessible content.

2. Automate Workflows
  • Task Management: Assign and track responsibilities for reviewing and updating digital content.
  • Approval Process: Ensure all new content meets accessibility standards before publishing.

3. Improve Collaboration and Tracking
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Use collaboration tools to track progress on accessibility work.
  • Team Coordination: Connect content creators, web developers, designers, and accessibility experts.
  • User Feedback: Gather input from students, faculty, and staff with disabilities to find and fix accessibility issues.
  • Issue Tracking: Create a system for reporting and solving accessibility problems.

4. Monitor Compliance
  • Audit Trails: Keep records of content edits to show compliance.
  • Reporting Tools: Generate reports to track progress and identify areas needing improvement.

5. Integrate with Existing Systems
  • CMS Integration: Make sure accessibility tools work with the school’s content management system (CMS).
  • IT Compatibility: Connect new tools with existing IT systems to simplify management.

6. Make Accessibility Easy for Everyone
  • User-Friendly Tools: Choose simple, intuitive tools so faculty, staff, and students can easily follow accessibility guidelines.

The Future of Accessibility in Higher Education

The DOJ’s new rules are a turning point. Schools must see accessibility as more than a legal requirement. It is an essential part of creating an inclusive learning environment. By improving content management, automating workflows, and encouraging teamwork, colleges and universities can:
  • Reduce the risk of legal issues.
  • Improve digital experiences for everyone.
  • Create an inclusive space for students, faculty, and staff.

This challenge is also an opportunity. Schools that act now will build a strong, accessible digital system for the future and improve engagement for all.

Accessibility is not just a rule—it is a responsibility. By focusing on inclusive design and content management, colleges and universities can lead the way in providing equal access to education in the digital age.

How Laserfiche Can Help

Laserfiche provides a comprehensive solution for colleges and universities tackling web accessibility challenges. With powerful document management, workflow automation, and compliance tracking, Laserfiche helps institutions:
  • Centralize and manage digital content efficiently.
  • Automate workflows to ensure accessibility compliance.
  • Improve collaboration across departments.
  • Maintain clear audit trails for accountability.

By leveraging Laserfiche, institutions can transform their approach to digital accessibility, ensuring compliance while creating a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Get started today and build a stronger, more accessible digital experience with Laserfiche.

Download our eBook: Guide to Creating a Fully Integrated Digital Campus