By Jodi Schatz – Robotic process automation is gaining traction in government, after having gotten its start in private-sector enterprises. RPA applies elements of artificial intelligence to workflow processes to allow employees to shift from routine tasks to more high-value work. In fact, the opportunities for improving efficiencies in the public sector are so great that the federal government is now mandating agencies adopt technologies like RPA.

But automation is also enabling possible security risks that have not been encountered yet. It’s tempting to start looking for ways to implement RPA as the Office of Management and Budget would have agencies do, but before then, federal IT decision-makers must get up to speed on RPA and ensure that the current levels of data security applied to humans extends to robots as well.

Why the fascination with RPA? On its own, automation can reduce costs and improve efficiency. Add intelligence to the mix, as with RPA, and the value is greater, enabling continuous operation with reduced human error and improved information processing. Read On: