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. […]
DOD CIO Pitches IT Overhaul Plan
To gain a “decisive warfighting advantage,” Department of Defense (DOD) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Kristen Davies on March 26 introduced a four-pillar plan designed to modernize the Pentagon’s vast technology ecosystem. […]
OPM Launches Early Career Talent Network to Bolster Federal Hiring Pipeline
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced on Monday a new Early Career Talent Network, launched in partnership with the White House, to connect young talent with full-time career opportunities across the federal government. […]
Garcia Urges OPM to Drop Proposed Forced Ranking System for Feds
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is urging the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to withdraw a proposed overhaul of federal employee performance evaluations, warning the plan is unlawful and could undermine its goals. […]
DHS Shutdown Becomes Longest on Record as Funding Stalemate Drags On
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is now the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown leaves thousands of federal employees working without pay while Congress takes a two-week recess. […]
FedRAMP Hits 500 Authorized Cloud Services
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) has authorized more than 500 cloud service offerings, marking a big milestone as the program pushes forward with its FedRAMP 20x modernization effort. […]
Former VA EHR Executive Charged With Concealing Gifts From Contractors
A former senior executive at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was charged this week with allegedly concealing cash and luxury gifts he received from government contractors while overseeing the agency’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. […]
Federal CIOs Push Workforce Experience, Flag Legacy Processes
Chief information officers (CIOs) at the Commerce Department and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said Thursday that they are rethinking traditional IT planning and modernization approaches as agencies face rising pressure to deliver faster, more flexible digital capabilities. […]
OMB, NIST Push Changes to Speed ATO Approvals Across Agencies
Federal cybersecurity leaders said on Thursday that the authority to operate (ATO) process – often blamed for slowing technology adoption – can move faster if agencies shift their approach to risk management, culture, and decision-making. […]
GAO: Federal Agencies Not Using Cyber Workforce Dashboard
A federal dashboard designed to help address the government’s shortage of cybersecurity professionals is not used by five of six agencies examined by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), including the agency that created it, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). […]
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Anthropic Ban
A federal judge in San Francisco granted Anthropic’s request for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against the Trump administration, temporarily blocking the government-wide ban of the artificial intelligence (AI) company’s technology. […]
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.