Federal CIO Kent Announces Cyber Reskilling Academy
Federal CIO Suzette Kent this morning announced creation of the Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy–a joint effort of the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Education, and the Federal CIO Council Workforce Committee–to kickstart the Federal government’s efforts to address gaps in the Federal cybersecurity workforce and help retrain Federal employees. […]
Feds Reach IT Modernization Tipping Point
A new report from MeriTalk and the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) finds that Federal finance, IT, and procurement experts believe we’ve reached an IT modernization tipping point. […]
DHS Launches ICT Sector Supply Chain Risk Task Force
The Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 30 announced launch of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force, which the agency said is charged with developing “consensus recommendations” to identify and manage risk to the global ICT supply chain. […]
DHS’ Manfra Discusses FISMA Update, Impact to CDM
Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, said today that the new update to Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) guidance will place even more accountability on department leaders and reflects an evolution in discussions between agencies and DHS. […]
Locked Shields Cyber Defense Exercise Keys on Collaboration
The U.S. and allied nations wrapped up their Locked Shields 2024 cybersecurity exercise, with the power of collaboration defeating cyberattacks as a major takeaway from this year’s effort. […]
OPM Using Cloud Savings to Fund AI Pilots, CIO Says
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is leveraging the savings it generates from its transition to the cloud services to fund AI technology pilots, the agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Acting Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Guy Cavallo said Thursday. […]
CISA Issues Encrypted DNS Implementation Guidance
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued guidance on Thursday that aims to help Federal agencies meet requirements related to the encryption of Domain Name System (DNS) traffic and bolster the cybersecurity of their IT networks. […]
Majority of Fed Cyber Experts Prioritizing OT, but Gaps Remain
Sixty-eight percent of Federal operational technology (OT) administrators and managers reported experiencing an OT cyber-incident in the past year, but only half felt confident they could detect or mitigate a threat today, according to new research from MeriTalk and Claroty. […]
CISA’s Eric Goldstein Stepping Down Next Month
Eric Goldstein, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is stepping down from his role next month. […]
NSF Director ‘Extremely Worried’ as Critical Tech Resources Run Thin
National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan urged Congress today to ramp up its investments in critical and emerging technologies, saying he is “extremely worried” the United States is slipping in the global race for technological leadership. […]
Labor Dept. Centers AI Guidance on ‘Worker Empowerment’
The Department of Labor (DoL) today released a set of principles that provide employers with guidance for implementing AI technologies in ways that enhance job quality and protect workers rights. […]
NIST Sets Updated Guidance on Protecting Unclassified Data
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released newly updated guidelines for Federal agencies on how to protect their controlled unclassified information (CUI) when it resides on private-sector systems. […]
Feds: U.S. Elections Threats ‘Supercharged’ by Rise of AI
With the 2024 U.S. elections just six months away, top Federal intelligence and security officials warned lawmakers that America’s foreign adversaries will again seek to influence the upcoming elections by harnessing the latest innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. […]
New Bill Eyes Chopping Block for VA EHRM Absent Improvements
Top lawmakers on the House and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs introduced new legislation this week that aims to put an end to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) current Electronic Health Records Modernization (EHRM) program within two years unless improvements are made. […]
With 80 percent of every Federal IT dollar spent on life support for legacy systems, the Federal IT community is exploring new options to modernize and innovate – virtualization, cloud computing, Flash technology, software-defined options, shared services, and more. MeriTalk is staying close to the leaders on the front lines, bringing you new ideas and lessons learned.
And, as Federal IT leaders work to meet demands of an “always-on” highly mobile government, we bring you the stories and breaking news on balancing productivity with security. Our government IT news includes how agencies manage advanced persistent threats, and the steps that help guard against socially engineered threats. We look at the latest trends in malware, spyware, ransomware, and spear phishing. And – how can Federal agencies protect data from tomorrow’s cyber threats?
The MeriTalk “Industry Insider” column, offers a weekly news roundup of contracts and other activity in the Federal IT industry. Check with MeriTalk daily for the government technology news you need to know, or subscribe to get the latest stories delivered directly to your inbox. You’ll stay up to date with interesting and timely Federal IT stories on cybersecurity, big data, data center modernization, cloud, mobile, and other developments in your community – from what’s next for the MGT Act to the highly anticipated Federal IT revolving capital fund, MeriTalk brings you the trends and breaking IT news to help you modernize, innovate, and transform public sector technology and the missions you support.