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. […]
Rep. Garbarino Wants More Transparent Cyber Safety Review Board
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to examine the structure of the agency’s Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) as it considers reconstituting the board, with an eye to increasing transparency of how its members are selected and which cybersecurity incidents the board chooses to investigate. […]
Tech Leaders Tell Trump to Keep AI Regulations Light
As the Trump administration drafts its artificial intelligence action plan, industry leaders are advocating for clear, risk-based regulations to prevent unnecessary restrictions on AI-driven cybersecurity and enterprise applications. […]
IRS Firings Imperil Refunds, Tech Upgrades, Former Employees Say
The mass firings of IRS employees are putting at risk the agency’s ability to issue timely refunds and answer taxpayer questions – along with threatening to reverse recent upgrades to some of the agency’s antiquated technology – former IRS managers said on March 11. […]
Defense in Depth: The Critical Role of Data Diodes in Government Industrial Control Systems
Industrial control systems are just as vital to government programs and operations as they are to traditional critical infrastructure operators (power, telecom, utilities, etc.). These systems are more susceptible to cyber threats due to legacy infrastructure, complex supply chains, and inadequate IT-based cyber protection that doesn’t meet the needs of Operations Technology (OT) and stringent compliance requirements. […]
Senate Confirms Feinberg as Pentagon’s No. 2
The Senate on Friday confirmed Stephen Feinberg as the new deputy secretary of defense with a 59-40 vote, officially filling the Department of Defense’s (DoD) second-highest civilian position. […]
DHS Taps Marine, Intelligence Veteran McCord for CIO
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has named Antoine McCord its new chief information officer (CIO), a spokesperson for the agency confirmed to MeriTalk. […]
Federal Judge to Consider Blocking DOGE From SSA Data
A Federal judge in Baltimore is set to consider whether to block the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to personal data of and about millions of Americans that is held by the Social Security Administration (SSA). […]
FCC Chairman Creates New National Security Council
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has created a new Council for National Security within the FCC to oversee telecom supply chain risks, cyber threats, and emerging technologies. […]
Tech Groups Urge White House to Protect Federal AI Initiatives, Workforce
A bevy of tech-sector and public interest groups are calling on the Trump administration to maintain current guidance on Federal agency artificial intelligence use case inventories to ensure transparency and accountability in government AI deployment, while others are pleading with the administration to not slash the Federal workforce critical to AI innovation. […]
Senators Clash Over ‘Golden Dome’ Funding, Priorities
Senators clashed on March 13 over President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, with key disagreements about funding and priorities at a Punchbowl News “pop-up” conversation on space policy. […]
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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