Concourse

New Jersey

IT Status Report & Strategic Plan

February 23, 2026 · Version 2.0

Executive Summary

Governor

Mikie Sherrill (D)

CIO

Kevin Dehmer

CISO

Michael Geraghty

IT Organization

Office of Information Technology (OIT)

State Agencies

16

Population

9.3M

✓ Key Strengths

  • NJCCIC (Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell) is a national benchmark for state-level cyber operations -- producing annual threat assessments, coordinating incident response, and operating the Civilian Cyber Resilience Corps
  • New Governor Sherrill and newly appointed CTO Kevin Dehmer bring fresh leadership with mandate to modernize: Dehmer's background in education data systems and workforce development signals digital transformation focus
  • NJ TRANSIT fare modernization deploying state-of-the-art payment technology including FARE-PAY contactless cards, 8-foot smart fare gates, and mobile wallet integration across the nation's third-largest transit system
  • Strategic position for federal broadband funding with $18M+ Digital Equity Capacity Grant approved and Office of Broadband Connectivity driving statewide connectivity initiatives

⚠ Key Risks

  • CTO leadership transition: Chris Rein retired after 8 years; Kevin Dehmer appointed February 2026 with limited state IT operations experience -- steep learning curve during critical modernization period
  • OIT modernization backlog: major projects include NJCFS child and family services system, pension fund migration, firewall upgrades, and DNS hardening -- competing priorities stretch limited resources
  • NJCCIC Strategic Plan 2026-2030 identifies increasing cyberattack frequency and severity from nation-state actors (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) targeting New Jersey critical infrastructure
  • No published comprehensive IT strategic plan comparable to leading states -- OIT priorities communicated primarily through budget responses to legislature

Capability Areas

Capability Radar

Cybersecurity & …AI & AutomationDigital Governme…Data Management …Workforce & Tale…Cloud ServicesBroadband & Conn…IT Procurement &…Interoperability…Legacy Moderniza…
New Jersey

Current IT Projects

ProjectStatusDescriptionTimeline
NJCFS Child and Family Services ModernizationIn ProgressModernization of the New Jersey Child and Family Services system to improve child welfare case management, data integration, and service delivery.2024-2027
Pension Fund Secure MigrationIn ProgressMigration of state pension fund data and systems to secure cloud environment with enhanced data protection and access controls.2025-2026
NJ TRANSIT Fare ModernizationIn ProgressDeployment of FARE-PAY contactless payment cards, 8-foot smart fare gates with 3D sensors at major stations, upgraded ticket vending machines, and mobile validation devices across the transit network.2025-2027
Cybersecurity Infrastructure UpgradeIn ProgressDeployment of new enterprise firewalls, hardened cloud DNS infrastructure, and enhanced cybersecurity monitoring capabilities aligned with NJCCIC Strategic Plan 2026-2030.2025-2026
NJCCIC Strategic Plan 2026-2030 ImplementationPlanningMulti-year cybersecurity strategy implementation including enhanced threat intelligence, incident response automation, vulnerability management, and workforce development through Civilian Cyber Resilience Corps.2026-2030
Broadband Equity and DeploymentIn ProgressOffice of Broadband Connectivity managing BEAD allocation and $18M+ Digital Equity Capacity Grant to expand high-speed internet access to underserved communities across seven priority counties.2025-2028

100-Day Strategic Plan

Quick-win initiatives for immediate impact

200-Day Strategic Plan

Strategic initiatives for sustained transformation

Sources

  1. GovTech: New Jersey Names a Permanent Chief Technology Officer (accessed 2026-02-23)
  2. NJCCIC Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  3. NJCCIC 2026 Cyber Threat Assessment (accessed 2026-02-23)
  4. NJCCIC 2025 Cyber Threat Assessment (accessed 2026-02-23)
  5. NJ OIT Discussion Points and Responses to Legislature (accessed 2026-02-23)
  6. NJOIT Information Security Policy (18-02-NJOIT) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  7. NJ Office of Broadband Connectivity (accessed 2026-02-23)
  8. NJ TRANSIT Fare Modernization Program Announcement (accessed 2026-02-23)
  9. NorthJersey.com: NJ Transit to update fare collection and enforcement options (accessed 2026-02-23)
  10. ROI-NJ: NJ Transit unveils state-of-the-art fare payment and collection systems (accessed 2026-02-23)
  11. NJCCIC: Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell Overview (accessed 2026-02-23)
  12. CISO Michael Geraghty LinkedIn Profile (accessed 2026-02-23)
  13. NASCIO 2025 State CIO Top 10 Priorities (accessed 2026-02-23)
  14. DOJ Title II Web Accessibility Rule - WCAG 2.1 AA (accessed 2026-02-23)
  15. StateScoop: New Jersey state technology and government IT coverage (accessed 2026-02-23)