Smarter Gov Tech, Stronger MerITocracy
DHS

A top official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said today that he is worried about an uptick in the adversarial use of artificial intelligence technologies, which have the potential to cause harms to U.S. critical infrastructure. […]

Dell Tech Forum 2023

Technology and innovation expert Mitch Joel said at today’s Dell Technologies Forum event that the biggest challenge for organizations that have begun leveraging artificial intelligence involves evaluating the differences between traditional AI technologies and newer generative AI tools, and then considering the best uses for both. […]

DoD Pentagon Military

After a year of planning, military service branches and defense agencies have submitted their zero trust security implementation plans to the Department of Defense (DoD) zero trust team for evaluation, according to the department’s zero trust lead. […]

A bipartisan pair of House members has introduced legislation to reform the Federal government’s security classification system to prevent the over-classification of documents and avoid possible mishandling of information. […]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on Oct. 19, detailing the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) current efforts to lower the potential possibilities of discrimination against certain minority groups while simultaneously working to ensure TSA meets tech requirements. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is leading an effort to update the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) by the end of 2024, as directed in the Biden administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy released earlier this year. CISA, in close coordination with the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), is embarking on a […]

White House

The Biden-Harris administration, through the Department of Commerce’s (DoC) Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced the designation of 31 technology hubs across the country as part of the first phase of the new Tech Hubs program. […]

CISA

A new report out today from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) focuses on the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) growth and mission needs, and offers a range of findings and recommendations that go beyond basic funding needs to bolster CISA’s ability to defend the nation’s cyberspace and the security of Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies (FCEB). […]

DoD Pentagon Military

Maria Persaud-Thompson is starting a new job as chief information officer (CIO) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), according to her LinkedIn account. […]

With the growing need to get cloud service capabilities online and operational across the Federal government, the chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is making clear that agencies do not need to employ an “army” to get started on that work. […]

deep fakes, AI

Earlier this summer, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – which operates as part of the Department of Labor – released guidance to employers on how to leverage AI in the hiring process while remaining compliant with prohibitions against race, ethnicity, sex, and disability discrimination.  […]

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is in charge of a $1 billion grant program to improve middle-mile broadband infrastructure, but a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the NTIA has not established measurable goals for the program. […]

General Services Administration GSA Headquarters 1800 F St 18F TTS FAS

The General Services Administration’s Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (GSA FEDSIM) has awarded CGI Federal Inc. a multi-year contract worth $522.6 million on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help modernize and support EPA’s technology systems. […]

DoD Pentagon Military

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) office has received more than 800 reports of UAP incidents, according to the office’s annual report released this week, which says that 271 of those were reported in the year ended April 2023. […]

TMF
Cyber workforce

The top Republican on the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee – the congressional arm that maintains oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – said today that an insufficient workforce remains the top cyber threat to our nation.   […]

quantum computing AI min

Reps. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., and Jim Baird, R-Ind., introduced bipartisan legislation last week that would amend the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) to accelerate quantum research by improving access to quantum research resources. […]

Senate hearing Congressional-min

As the Federal government is looking to recover and make sense of the rampant unemployment insurance (UI) fraud seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts today told members of Congress that the government is in dire need of a technology overhaul to keep up with fraudulent actors who are leveraging emerging technologies such as AI to steal taxpayer money. […]

Customer experience CX-min

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich. – chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee – James Lankford, R-Okla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas., introduced bipartisan legislation to improve and streamline the customer service (CX) that Federal agencies provide in person, online, and over the phone.  […]

Witnesses at a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology joint subcommittee hearing on Wednesday praised the work the Federal government has done to start building a foundation for a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, but said more work is needed. […]

Login.gov will begin deploying facial recognition technology next year as a way for people to verify their identities and securely access vital government benefits and services, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced Wednesday. […]

taxes, IRS
Air Force

Many Federal agencies are looking to use AI as a key cybersecurity tool, but before agencies get too far ahead of themselves, U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) Winston Beauchamp said on Tuesday that the number one thing agencies can do to improve their cybersecurity posture is to modernize their IT architecture. […]

website

The Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) is making some major changes to how it manages the infrastructure behind official government websites. The next change, CISA said, is launching a new .gov registrar.  […]

Pentagon DoD Defense Military

A Defense Department (DoD) spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk today that Joe Larson, a long-time Pentagon leader overseeing the use and scaling of digital and algorithmic technologies for war, plans to step down from his post effective February 1, 2024. […]

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is actively working to introduce a “light touch” artificial intelligence bill that would aim to protect both consumers and entrepreneurs, a Senate source familiar with the legislation confirmed to MeriTalk. […]

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