Mulberry Enters the Cloud

(Jason Barnes)

(Editor’s Note: Each year, Arkansas Business partners with the Arkansas Municipal League to present the Trendsetter City awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives underway in municipalities across the state. Large, medium and small-sized cities were honored in six categories: Diversity and Inclusion; Education/Workforce Development; Infrastructure and Water; Public Works/Environmental and Green Management; Technology and Security; and Tourism Development/Creative Culture. Below is one winner’s story. For more, click here.) 

Technology and Security
Winner • Under 5,000

The Challenge

The city of Mulberry had an outdated IT infrastructure that was prone to failure, and it posed a serious risk to essential services, including the police and administrative systems. With a small population, Mulberry lacked the resources larger cities have for technological upgrades. Cybersecurity threats were another growing concern, as their aging system struggled to protect sensitive data. City leaders needed a cost-effective yet forward-thinking solution to secure their operations and prepare for the future.

The Solution

Officials responded by fully embracing a cloud-based strategy, becoming only the 10th city in Arkansas to do so. They migrated critical systems like the Police program and email services to Azure Cloud, vastly improving system resilience. Security was dramatically enhanced with WatchGuard endpoint detection and response functions, custom multi-factor authentication and full-disk encryption through Microsoft BitLocker. The project, which kept costs manageable by leveraging existing resources, not only strengthened Mulberry’s digital defenses but also ensured scalability for future growth and positioned it as a tech leader among small cities.

Protective Measures

Mulberry is getting ahead of potential cyber threats by enrolling staff in cybersecurity training and creating a culture of security awareness.

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