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. […]
IRS Staff Exodus Threatens “Severe Risks,” GAO Says
The departure of thousands of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) staffers over the past year has created a “major workforce challenge” that poses “severe risks” to IRS operations, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said. […]
Army Awards $20B Counter-Drone Contract
The U.S. Army has awarded a $20 billion contract to Anduril Industries aimed at strengthening counter-drone capabilities across the Department of Defense (DOD), according to an announcement released Friday evening. […]
Elvis in Everyman: Dan Arthur Arnold, RIP
Dan Arnold passed on March 5th – he was my friend. I first met Dan Arnold when we were young men – in our mid twenties. Long Island Elvis – rockahulla smile, enormous hand, and a firm shake. […]
Army Revises $50B Services Contract Draft
The U.S. Army has released the fifth draft of its upcoming professional services contract vehicle and is seeking additional industry feedback as it continues refining the effort. […]
GSA Moves to Streamline Federal Buying with New Acquisition QSMO
A new General Services Administration (GSA) quality service management office (QSMO) will work with federal agencies to reduce duplicative business service and technology investments, while bridging data silos and inconsistent processes. […]
FCC Eyes AI Tools to Modernize Telecommunications Relay Services
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing updates to its telecommunications relay services (TRS) rules that would allow the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered speech recognition and other automated technologies to support communications for people with disabilities. […]
Democrats Request IG Investigation Into CISA Polygraph Handling
Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., and four other House Democrats are asking federal watchdogs to investigate how officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) handled polygraph tests taken by the agency’s former acting director, Madu Gottumukkala. […]
MeriTalk Research: 94% of Federal Cyber Leaders Report Exposure Management Challenges as Attack Surfaces Grow
Federal cybersecurity leaders say agencies are struggling to keep pace with the growing attack surface, with new MeriTalk research showing that discovery is outpacing agencies’ abilities to prioritize and remediate risks. […]
OMB Updates Internal Control Rules, Shifts Responsibility Away From GAO
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued updated guidance directing federal agencies to take greater ownership of internal controls and risk assessment, with OMB Director Russell Vought arguing that prior policy relied too heavily on outside watchdogs such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO). […]
Pentagon Launches New Tool for Custom AI Agents
The Defense Department (DOD) on Tuesday unveiled a new tool that allows its workforce to build custom artificial intelligence (AI) assistants without coding experience. […]
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?
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