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. […]
Trump Renominates Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA
President Donald Trump renominated Jared Isaacman to serve as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), he announced on Truth Social Tuesday evening. […]
Army Seeks Info on Drone-Killing Lasers
The U.S. Army is moving forward with its plans to acquire high-energy laser weapons designed to destroy enemy drones. […]
DOE Announces $625M for National Quantum Centers
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Tuesday $625 million in funding to support its five National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers, which were originally established by the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018. […]
Senators Demand Answers as ICE Expands Facial Recognition Use
A group of senators is renewing its call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately suspend its use of a facial recognition app to identify individuals on American streets. […]
Dhamer Urges Agile Innovation in Defense Planning
Austin Dhamer, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, told lawmakers that future military planning must emphasize agility, technological innovation and multi-domain capability development to maintain strategic advantage. […]
DHS Proposes Sweeping Expansion of Biometric Data Collection
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to collect biometric data from everyone involved in an immigration or visa process, including U.S. citizens and children under the age of 14, under a new rule proposed Monday. […]
VA Wants Industry Feedback on Possible Expansion of Cloud Environment
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is asking technology vendors for input on whether to expand its enterprise cloud environment beyond its current two providers. […]
GSA Upgrades 800 Sites Under EIS Modernization With MetTel
The General Services Administration (GSA) has rolled out a sweeping modernization of its nationwide voice and data network through telecommunications company MetTel, upgrading nearly 800 sites with a new technology overhaul. […]
HCHS Report: Cyber Threats on the Rise
In a year marked by escalating cyber threats, 2025 has already witnessed major cyberattacks on state and local governments across 44 U.S. states, highlighting the growing vulnerability of critical infrastructure to malicious actors, according to a new cyber threat snapshot from the House Committee on Homeland Security (HCHS). The snapshot illustrates a clear trend of increasing cyberattacks targeting U.S. networks and critical infrastructure since 2024. […]
FAR Council Releases Version 2.0 of ‘FAR Companion’ Guidance
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued a new FAR Companion, Version 2.0, guide on Oct. 30 to help acquisition officials amid the Trump administration’s ongoing Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). […]
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.