Illinois is known as the transportation hub of the United States, utilizing Chicago and its geographical center in America. In 2019, The State of Illinois did a major push through the budget to fund large investments into data centers around northern Illinois. The state’s investment in its infrastructure, bolstered by House Bill 3293 (HB 3293), storing sensitive information and utilizing datacenters and cyber security was at the forefront of Illinois business plan.
Data centers are not only critical of modern technology, but they serve a purpose for the financial sector, one of the top sectors for the City of Chicago. These storage hubs are central to the functioning of the internet, cloud computing, and the broader information tech landscape. As the as the digital era unfolds, the need for secure, stable, and systematic data storage solutions is increasing. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, data centers will drive traffic and resources thus increasing the attack surface.
House Bill 3293, was moved on quickly in 2019 by Illinois government, aimed at addressing Illinois’ financial crisis and focusing on brick-and-mortar infrastructure across many sectors of the state’s economy. The legislation had a particular focus that addressed the state’s technological and digital frameworks. The 2019 budget gave significant funds for modernizing Illinois’ infrastructure, but it also paved the way for growth in industries reliant on cutting-edge technologies – such as data centers. This strategic investment to the tune of over 600 million when you factor in Google’s investment in Monroe County, which brings to light the talking point, in which this could be the largest cyber security investment forever in Illinois.[i]
The main strategy was to provide large tax breaks for outside companies and to utilize the infrastructure, HB 3293 made Illinois an attractive destination for companies looking to build or expand data centers in the state. The General Assembly incorporated this by issuing major sales tax exemptions baked into the budget. According to data from the Illinois General Assembly’s official documentation on HB 3293, the law’s tax incentives are designed to foster long-term economic growth by encouraging the development of high-tech infrastructure – data centers being one of the key beneficiaries of these incentives. [ii] These centers will not only house the growing demand for data but will also enable Illinois to develop the cybersecurity workforce needed to defend sensitive data from cyberattacks.
As data centers play a larger role in managing cloud-based applications, ZTNA ensures secure access to the resources stored by preventing anyone – whether physically present or remote – from entering. It achieves this by implementing authentication, dividing the network into smaller, consolidated segments, and following the principle of granting only the minimum necessary permissions to reduce the risk of security breaches. With Illinois incentivizing the growth of data centers, businesses will utilize ZTNA to ensure secure remote access for their employees and partners. During testimony in the rules committee for this bill, ZTNA was at the forefront of the pros and cons of large datacenters in Illinois. Illinois is also home the largest nuclear energy producer in the country and utilizes ZTNA at all sites. Thus, Illinois is not new to this concept of protection.[iii]
Data centers in Illinois, particularly those benefiting from HB 3293 incentives, are likely to implement SASE solutions within their systems. These solutions offer a holistic method for securing cloud applications, remote users, and branch offices that connect to services hosted in these data centers. For major companies like Microsoft and Google, incorporating SASE architecture helps improve both security and efficiency, aligning with their broader business objectives. [iv]
With the rise of cloud adoption in 2019, the number of remote workers accessing enterprise applications also increased. To secure this access, technologies like ZTNA and SASE became crucial, allowing employees to safely connect to data centers from any location. These solutions were likely integrated into the design of new data centers in Illinois, ensuring a secure and reliable cloud experience for customers.
ZTNA, secure networking, and unified SASE collaborate to improve both security and performance in Illinois data centers. ZTNA guarantees secure, controlled access to cloud resources, while secure networking ensures data is protected as it travels through the network. Unified SASE offers an all-encompassing security and networking framework, supporting hybrid cloud setups and distributed applications. Combined, these technologies protect Illinois’ expanding data center infrastructure from contemporary cyber threats, delivering strong performance and security for users and data.
The state’s strategic investments, including those under HB 3293, also position Illinois as a magnet for tech innovation, attracting companies in fields like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. As these industries continue to expand, so will the demand for advanced data centers, which will need to integrate the latest cybersecurity technologies.
Illinois’ strategic investments, such as those through HB 3293, help establish the state as a hub for tech innovation, drawing companies in sectors like cloud computing, AI, and big data analytics. As these industries grow, the need for advanced data centers will increase, requiring the integration of cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies.
Written By: Andrew Lockhart
[i] Illinois General Assembly, House Bill 3293 (HB 3293), 2018. Available from ilga.gov.
[ii] CapitolFax, “Illinois’ Role in Growing Data Centers and Cybersecurity”, 2020. Available from capitolfax.com.
[iii] CapitolFax, “Illinois’ Role in Growing Data Centers and Cybersecurity”, 2020. Available from capitolfax.com.
[iv] Illinois General Assembly, House Bill 3293 (HB 3293), 2018. Available from ilga.gov.