Cook County MIS Director Rowan Watkins. Photo provided

From Cook County, MN - December 8, 2025

By:  Rowan Watkins, Cook County MIS Director

Since October, Cook County has been working towards transitioning its online services and email addresses to a new .gov domain, a process that will continue in the coming months.

The .gov domain is reserved exclusively for verified government organizations in the United States. Unlike common commercial domains such as .com or .org, which anyone can register, .gov addresses are carefully vetted and managed by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). That means when you see cookcountymn.gov, you can be confident you’re visiting an authentic government website—not a copycat or fraudulent page.

This change also helps defend against two of the most common online threats today: phishing and email spoofing. Unfortunately, cybercriminals frequently impersonate government offices to trick residents into sharing information or making payments. Moving to a .gov domain adds several layers of protection that make those kinds of attacks easier to detect and block. It also gives residents an easier way to recognize legitimate communications from Cook County.

From a technical standpoint, this transition modernizes our systems and aligns us with current federal cybersecurity standards. It builds on the ongoing efforts of the MIS Department to ensure Cook County’s digital infrastructure remains secure, reliable, and accessible. Our MIS team will work closely with every county department to ensure a smooth changeover, with automatic redirects in place for emails and websites to make the shift seamless for residents and partners.

Financially, the federal government offers .gov domains at no cost to state and local governments, and our minimal implementation expenses will be covered within the existing MIS budget. It’s a low-cost, high-impact improvement that enhances both security and public confidence.

In the coming months, you’ll start to see the new domain appearing in county emails, on department web pages, and in printed materials. The old addresses will continue to work for a while, so no action is needed right away—but we do encourage residents and partner organizations to update their bookmarks and contact lists as we make the switch.

For us in county government, technology is ultimately about service—making sure people can safely and easily access the information and resources they need. Moving to a .gov domain is one more way we’re working to ensure Cook County is providing a high level of service.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.