THIRTY YEARS OF MITA 14

03. Executive Committee

Left to right: Robert Galea, Pierre Vella, Priscilla Bugeja, Tony Sultana, Wayne Valentine, Jonathan Cassar Ivan Alessandro. Ing. Emanuel Darmanin, Jesmond Mizzi, Ing. Ian Bonello

The pandemic situation that we faced in 2020 has revealed the true value of MITA – our employees. It allowed for greater collaboration between teams, putting more to practice our cross functional skills, think more widely and with an open mindset. Through this we managed to continue to grow into an organisation that is more resilient and agile to adapt to changing scenarios and client demands. Our advantage was our experience and knowledge capital which we have nurtured throughout the past three decades.

Our investment in technology has reached new heights, reaching around €1.2m, with a programme aimed to modernize and consolidate our infrastructure to sustain and support Government’s digital transformation programme. This included investment in a mix of on-premise and cloud-based technologies, backup infrastructure, networking equipment, increased internet bandwidth, transformation of the National Electronic Identity (eID) Solution and the modernisation of core information systems. We also looked into our support solutions and services to improve the client support experience.

Along the pandemic, the world experienced an increase in cyberthreats. Hackers took advantage of the accelerated pace of digitalization and were in the lookout for exposed ICT assets and infrastructure to target. Not only did we extended our Security Centre operations services throughout this high-risk period but inaugurated a new purpose-built Security Centre equipped with modern security monitoring and response tools. For the latter, MITA subscription services amounted to approx. €2m which were aimed towards enhancing Government’s security posture. At par was the investment in the Cyber Security campaign targeting the public and the private sector, as well as the citizens.

We retained our commitment toward the ICT students, tomorrow’s workforce, by hosting the annual Student Placement Programme (SPP), providing summer job exposure to 300 students across more than 77 organisations. We achieved this while being understanding of the pandemic situation and the employee personal needs brought therewith.

04. Human Resources

2020 was planned to be a year full of activities to commemorate the 30th Anniversary since the establishment of MITA (formerly MSU Ltd, MITTS Ltd). However, 2020 turned out very differently than planned. The Agency’s programme of activities had to be recalibrated in view of the pandemic, and all organised activities had to be downscaled to follow the Health authorities’ directives.

Indeed, the pandemic disrupted the regular work routine! Human Resources (HR)’s role emerged as being critical to support management and employees to quickly adapt to changing work routines, adjust to social distancing practices and switch to remote working, at an unprecedented rate and scale. The Agency introduced a new Remote Working policy in addition to the long-established family friendly measures that included Teleworking, Reduced hours and Flexi-Time policies.

Despite the increased workload due to changing work practices and health concerns, HR’s priority during the pandemic remained the employees’ health and well-being. Good and frequent communication was crucial to keep the Agency’s workforce focused, motivated and engaged. During this difficult period, management hosted regular online team meetings including one-to-one meetings with employees. The latter, apart from addressing work related issues, helped morale and support specific employee needs.

Through the established systems and services, infrastructure and tools, the Agency rapidly deployed the majority of its workforce to work remotely, thereby protecting the safety of those employees required to physically report to the office. All this ensured that the critical Government ICT services, such as those in use by the Health sector, remained operational.

4.1 MITA Awards for Excellence

On Thursday, 17th December 2020, the Agency hosted the annual MITA Awards for Excellence at the MITA Data Centre. In-line with established COVID related health measures the event was streamed online to allow all MITA employees to follow the event. Awards were given to those employees who were voted as having embraced the MITA Values and achieved the highest levels of teamwork.

The Awards conferred were as follows:

• Professionalism Award - Reuben Gauci • People Award - Sonia Debono • Client Focus Award - Matthew Catania • Continuous Improvement Award - Felix Attard • Empowerment Award - Wayne Bonello

• Chairman’s Award- Robert Grixti • Team Award – Maintenance Team - Wayne Portanier - Oliver Sammut - Daniel Farrugia - David Camilleri - Valerio Hall - Victor Scicluna - Carmel Borg - Gaetano Formosa

During the ceremony Alan Brincat and Adrian Camilleri were also conferred the title of MITA ICT Technical Fellows.

05. Thirty Years of MITA

An Enduring Success of a Public Entity

During the MITA Awards for Excellence event, MITA launched a publication to mark the 30th Anniversary since the establishment of the Agency. This book provides a detailed overview about how the Agency has evolved throughout these years and gives a profile on how it took an active role to deliver modern digital solutions to the Maltese Government.

MITA, formerly MSU Ltd and MITTS Ltd, was established in 1990 and has since then been constantly dedicated in assisting the Government in transforming technological innovations into real business solutions that facilitate public service delivery.

This book covers the history of the establishment of the Agency and the progress that MITA has made through visionary strategies that have seen the implementation of the technology, such as the network service (the MAGNET), email and the Internet. We have seen information systems implemented and developed for those that are today. We have seen the establishment of computer rooms that met the needs of the time for the construction of a modern Data Center, which we have today. We have always been protagonists in the implementation of procedures and standards for the operation and good governance of ICT services, built and operated in accordance with international standards, which are regularly audited.

Over time we wanted to always be there to give the best service. We have set up a Call Centre, today with a 24x7 operations, to assist, and if possible, solve technical problems as soon as possible. We have implemented a proactive monitoring service for our solutions, with holistic visibility over Government digital infrastructure.

Priorities continued to change over time and today at par with the continuous development in technology so has the sophistication of malicious attacks. So had, therefore, the priority in the security of systems and infrastructure has continued to grow and today MITA has a modern centre with the best solutions to protect and guard against cyber threats.

All this was not permissible, if not for all employees who have worked or are still employed with the Agency to date. We learned together, and we always looked forward. We learned, too, from some of our mistakes, but we never looked back. We have always been there to give the best service. This has allowed us to succeed and gain recognition. For example, in eGovernment services where over the years we have been at the forefront of other EU countries.

So, we have always been a supporter of the Government of the day, where we have been called upon to offer our services at national events, including the coordination of changes in Y2K-related systems, the euro, events such as CHOGM, the Maltese Presidency of the EU, in ICT and other legislation.

We also wanted to share our experiences with students, our future co-workers, where we provided various opportunities, including summer jobs and apprenticeships, scholarships and incentives for startups. We have also opened a laboratory where one can practice on new technologies.

Apart from our work, MITA employees have always been protagonists in being there for those who need help in any way. Through MITA Cares, which today leads this work, community work is constantly being done, such as MITA’s participation in l-iStrina and Puttinu Cares, and the implementation of the WIFI network for id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Today MITA, through the direction of the Ministry for the Economy and Industry, collaborates with the Office of the Principle Permanent Secretary and Ministry CIOs to attain its mandated strategies and assigned projects. The Agency is dedicated in assisting the Government in transforming technological innovations into real business solutions. Its unique approach combines an innovative array of ICT and project management services with focused delivery capabilities using tried and tested methodologies to help fulfil Government’s strategies and projects and maximise the benefits of investment in technology.

This book lists some of these experiences and augurs a future ahead in continuing to transform technological innovations into real business solutions that facilitate public service delivery.

06. MITA Branding

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As part of the 30th Anniversary celebration from its foundation, the Agency launched a new brand image that represents our past, our future and the way forward that we must achieve together. A change in design that represents an Agency that must always move forward in terms of its technology, security and digital implementation. An initiative that brings not only a change in appearance, but also in our ideology. We will be the digital future of our country.

The rebranding exercise commenced with a brainstorming exercise which highlighted the importance of the changes within MITA and its brand image externally. This was followed by the setting up of a strategic team involving a number of employees from different departments and led by our marketing executives. A professional entity was engaged to support throughout the process. The exercise began through the to formulate through the identification of the new logo.

Once this was finalised the strategic team started to work on several initiatives such as website, signages, branded stationery and merchandise. More than ever, it has become very clear that the digital support and protection we provide is crucial for the country. We have understood and showed that our Agency is essential for our country’s digital future. And this led us to change our brands’ image, which now better reflect our identity. The last phase of the rebranding exercise was the launch of the new MITA strategy which focuses on how to work digitally better across all government sectors.

06.1 Our Logo

In this initiative we have rebranded our identity by changing our logo, our website, our corporate look, and we will continue to change and grow together. The MITA logo displays an arrow which acts as an identifier that symbolises two things; the back-end development through coding and a forward-looking direction, meaning a vision to propel MITA into the future. This is intended to push the agency to the forefront, making it one of the best digital innovators in Malta for the upcoming years. It’s designed to channel flexibility, harnessing the power of technology into the identity of the agency.

This logo serves as a homage to the very start of the programming language age. In the beginning, the use of such languages in our world was something that caused a significant shift. It completely transformed our way of life and opened doors to endless possibilities. MITA is doing just that, by entering in this new chapter. This fresh start, with a thirst for growth into uncharted waters and prior experience, enables us to be at the forefront in consulting the Government with technical solutions.

The other arrow point-like symbol symbolises MITA’s ongoing journey. The dash at the top shows the starting point, is an acknowledgement of the past, while the one at the bottom illustrates the unknown yet bright future that lays ahead. MITA’s journey towards the future is one with experience and knowledge after all the brand bears a 30-year legacy which warrants celebration. 06.2 Digital Look

As part of our rebranding the Agency also changed its main digital look by transforming the MITA website. The new website incorporates all the new elements of the MITA branding and features the main services that MITA offers. The careers section was also revamped and know prospective candidates can apply directly from the page.

Subsequently the main Call Centre which was previously separate from the main MITA website was also introduced in the new website. A new chat system was also introduced, and Call Centre Agents can now be contacted through a messenger. In addition, a full portfolio which includes all MITA roles and services was introduced.

06.3 Messaging Framework

Our rebranding marks a new chapter in the agency’s history. A change that will define us and will lead us to new opportunities. We have the expertise, experience, capacity and willingness to continue to be Government’s prime consultant where it comes to digital technologies, whether this relates to policy direction, enterprise architecture, and design, implementation and support of secure digital solutions as well as our core values.

This is why MITA’s ‘Our Digital Future’ is divided into the following arms:

• Shaping Our Digital Future • Supporting Our Digital Future • Securing Our Digital Future

Shaping as we are catalyst in the implementation and execution of all ICT Government strategies. Supporting as we support Government in critical ICT systems and major national events like how MITA was at the forefront to keep the public sector moving forward during the pandemic. Securing as we are responsible of safeguarding all Government system to work efficiently and in a timely secure manner.

06.4 Launch

With Covid-19 regulations the Branding Strategic team decided to go for a Big Bang Launch. All old logos were replaced in a weekender from Friday 25th September till Sunday 27th September. Employees were welcomed to their office work both at Head Office, Data Centre & Gozo Office with a new look. This involved all building signage, new merchandise and stationery, new website and all new templates which are used for work purposes.

A video message from our Executive Chairman official launched our new logo and brand message. This was followed by a logo reveal, video production. The production focused on movement to bring out a number of elements the logo represents, mostly the fluidity of technology while adding a human element of people supporting each other, breaking boundaries and moving forward which is the heart of MITA and its values. An informative video of how to use and adapt the new logo was also sent to all MITA employees. These were complemented by a number of online posts, including Minister video, new website post and photos of the launch day.

06.5 Campaign

Following the launch of the new MITA rebranding, a number of advertising material were put in place. The branding team used the campaign allocated budget to hit all possible channels. When it comes to TV adverts the Agency placed 30seconds advert for a full 1 month before the main news of TVM, One & Net Tv. More advert on these stations were shown periodically throughout the day. Also, a 30 second advert was shown on the famous X-Factor TV show on TVM. We also had the opportunity to work hand in hand with Gadgets which we sponsor every year.

A number of billboard (6 in total) around Malta and Gozo were done as well as a moving AD on one of the public buses. A number of articles were also published on local printed and online publications.

07. MITA Strategy

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An Action Team was setup to define a new strategy for period 2021 - 2023. Therein, the Agency defined its vision and objectives, principles, high-level policies, and associated actions for the three years ahead. It provides direction so that the Agency can achieve its goals and guidance to stakeholders, both internal and those external, to better understand MITA’s areas of focus.

Setting a strategic way forward is very important, especially in this dynamic industry. MITA has been supporting Government and the Public Administration for the past thirty years and has continuously evolved to be ready to provide the ICT infrastructure and services which are in line with the technological trends and social expectations. It is with a clear vision and well communicated direction that MITA remains relevant, and a crucial reference point to its clients.

In developing the strategy, the Agency analysed the external environment, the current organisational situation and the achievements attained so far. It set its strategic position and established the vision, “a commitment to a digital future”, to serve as a key inspirational driver. The Agency is committed to further embrace digital innovation and future digital challenges to fulfil its mission to its best ability, that is, to “provide technology direction and implement digital solutions for Government”.

The Agency’s Board and Executive Committee, together with the specifically assigned Action Team, worked to formulate Policy Statements and Actions. MITA will focus on seven main domains. It will provide digital architecture frameworks and will continue to assist Government in conceptualising digital policies and strategies. MITA remains committed to safeguard the Government’s digital assets while also contributing to cybersecurity at a national level. At the core, MITA remains focused to upkeep the Government’s digital infrastructure; the constant application of digital technologies and the better use of data; as well as the continuous modernisation and updating of shared platforms and vertical information systems. The objective for the next three years is to maintain these domains and bring about the required growth to keep them at par with the latest technologies and to meet clients’ needs.

Through this Strategy, MITA will also work in two other key areas, client relations and internal improvements. Through the former, there is a continuous application of knowledge, expertise, and experience to promote ICT consultancies and to further assist clients in their digital agenda. The latter acknowledges the need for continuous improvement within, through improved processes and application of new tools.

People Management is intentionally given special attention in the strategy. The Agency gives its human resources top importance as its main resource. The Agency will continue to further motivate and recognise the dedication and hard work of its employees, which will be critical for the Agency to successfully implement the strategy.

08. Highlights from 2020

08.1 Technical Direction and Enterprise Architecture

The CTO Office, which is responsible for the Technical Direction and Enterprise Architecture for Government, together with other architects from across the Agency, provides technical consultancy on several government projects and EU-wide initiatives. It devices the technological direction through research and implementation of cutting-edge technologies, and performing numerous architecture assessments on critical IT systems. A subset of these architecture assessments are conducted for each system being on-boarded on the MITA Hybrid Cloud platform, where the architect assesses the solution design to determine the most appropriate hosting, ensuring architecture is in line with technology direction and provides direction to improve to the solution’s design in terms of performance, resiliency and cost optimisation.

In 2020, the CTO Office directed efforts towards the participation in EU-funded projects as a means to obtain targeted funding and enabling MITA to become a leader in Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI). This will enable MITA to not only enhance collaboration between departments, but also to widen the Agency’s collaboration network internationally, with the end goal of further enabling Government in achieving its technology goals. Through the establishment of different international consortia, and in collaboration with PMD, the CTO Office submitted a number of proposals for funding targeting specific priority domains of interest to MITA. Two of these proposals made it through the highly competitive selection process and were accepted for funding.

The inGOV (Inclusive Governance Models and ICT Tools for Integrated Public Service Co-Creation and Provision) project has the objective of developing and deploying a comprehensive Integrated Public Services (IPS) holistic framework and ICT mobile tools that will support IPS co-creation and governance. In this project with 12 different members from Luxembourg, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Belgium, and Austria, MITA has the role of a pilot partner, where it will be contributing to the modernisation and integration of the digital common household unit public service. In Malta, this service is envisaged to affect 200,000 households and involve many public administrations through the implementation of the once-only principle. This project is funded by the Horizon 2020 EU Research and Innovation Programme for three years, where MITA has been allocated over 150k Euro funding.

The NLTP (National Language Technology Platform) Project aims at combining the most advanced language technology tools and solutions in a new state-of-the-art, artificial intelligence driven, National Language Technology Platform. The developed solution will provide public administrations and the general public with a secure access to high quality tools for translation of texts, including sensitive information, as well as translations of confidential documents in an efficient and cost effective way. In collaboration with partners from Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Iceland, as well as the University of Malta and the Office of the State Advocate from Malta, MITA has the goal of adapting and integrating eTranslation services to the local Maltese context. This includes integration of NLTP modules through APIs in other public services within the public administration as required. This project is funded by the CEF Telecom Programme (Automated Translation) for 2 years, where MITA has been allocated nearly 100k Euro funding.

08.2 The heart of MITA’s security operations excellence

There was a time when protecting digital environments simply meant setting up a strong perimeter to keep threat actors out. However, with the significant growth of connected devices and services, including cloud adoption and cloud-based applications, that perimeter now extends across a much more diverse set of technologies. Every day, we see reports of threat actors targeting individuals, businesses, Governments, and organisations for financial gain or socially motivated, to disrupt operations, conduct espionage, or undermine trust. The myriad of threats from around the globe encountered these days are not new, but the level of sophistication cybercrime syndicates employ in these threats continues to reach new heights.

In response to the ever-evolving threats, the Agency embarked on an investment for the design and establishment of state-of-the-art facilities to further support its comprehensive cybersecurity programme, which is built on the fundamental principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability to protect Government’s ICT Infrastructure and Digital Assets. MITA’s brand-new Security Operations Centre aims to unite all the Agency’s security teams and personnel under one roof. MITA’s Cybersecurity programme is supported by its Head of Security, the Cyber Defense & Advanced Operations Team, the Cyber Threat Intelligence Unit, the National Cyber Security Coordination Centre, the Security Governance Team and the Security Operations Team.

Inaugurated in October 2020 by the Hon Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Robert Abela, MITA’s Security Operations Centre brings together its security experts to help identify, protect, detect, respond and recover to and from security threats against Government’s ICT infrastructure and services in real-time. Informed by millions of data points across its extensive network of sensors, devices, authentication events and communications, MITA’s Security Operations Centre teams employ automated software, machine learning, behavioural analysis and forensic techniques to create an intelligent security graph of the environment and its threat landscape. The intelligent security graph helps MITA’s security teams protect all endpoints, networks and applications, better identify and detect attacks and accelerate response and recovery activities. The intelligent security graph is visualised on a dedicated 12K resolution videowall, devised of 27 bezel-free design 55” LED panels forming up a seamless videowall.

The Client Protection Framework was launched as part of the security department’s relocation to the new premises. This dashboard, developed by resources within the Security Governance team, is providing the Security Operations Centre with visibility on the security posture of environments across several domains, including workstations deployed across Government and environments hosted within the Segregated Hosted Environment. Through the eventual roll-out of this framework across Ministries, respective CIOs will be able to effectively mitigate identified vulnerabilities and security recommendations on environments falling within their responsibility to ensure that Government’s data continues to be safeguarded from the ever-increasing sophistication of the cyber-threat landscape.

In today’s complex security environments, investigations more often require highly specialized and technical expertise. To better address these challenges, one of the policing capabilities that MITA focuses on is digital forensics, a rapidly changing discipline which requires robust policies, procedures and specialised hardware and software. To meet this growing challenge, the new state-of-the-art premises also accommodates for a dedicated Digital Forensics and Malware Analysis Laboratory, designed and built on global guidelines published by The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). This dedicated laboratory enables the capability of the analysis of infected artefacts in a controlled environment leading to the discovery of indicators of compromise, from which MITA can implement controls to augment and enhance the security of Government IT Infrastructure and its security posture.