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 Touts Tech-Driven Gains in Strategic Plan Update
The IRS is taking claim for a range of technology-driven customer service improvements over the past year, and pointing to future improvements it hopes to achieve, in an update to its strategic operating plan published on May 2. […]
NASA Chief Blames JPL Layoffs on Budget Delays
The failure of Congress to approve a timely budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 – and the impact of further budget restrictions expected for FY2025 – has forced NASA to make some tough choices including letting go some of its valuable human talent, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told lawmakers on April 30. […]
House Admin Panel OKs Bills to Modernize Congress’ Work
The House Administration Committee unanimously passed two bills on April 30 that would modernize and digitize Congress’ work. […]
Lawmakers Make Last-Minute Calls to Save Affordable Connectivity Program
Lawmakers are making a last-minute plea to save the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as it begins to wind down this week, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their subsidized internet service. […]
NASA Spacecraft Lacks Cybersecurity Standards, GAO Finds
NASA’s spacecraft development programs lack mandatory cybersecurity controls for acquisition policies and standards, placing the technology at risk of cyberattacks, the Federal government’s top watchdog said this week. […]
Feds: Translation, Collaboration Key to Upskilling AI Workforce
As the Federal government looks to upskill its technology developer workforce to take advantage of new AI capabilities, government officials on Wednesday explained a lot of that work comes down to simply “translating” technical skills they already know and applying them to AI. […]
Defense, Intel Agencies Leveraging AI to Tackle Data Challenge
Agencies are drowning in cyber domain data, and when it comes to enabling rapid response, some of their biggest challenges include quality and accessibility of data, Federal defense and intelligence officials said this week. […]
Digital Twinning Key to Testing Army Capabilities Against Foreign Adversaries
In preparing to defend against threats from adversaries worldwide, the U.S. Army is relying on digital twinning techniques to ensure that service members “train like they fight,” Army Sergeant Major Lonnie Dunbar III said at ManTech’s TechShare 2024 conference in Washington on May 1. […]
VA Reaches ‘Acceleration Point’ in CX Transformation
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began its customer experience (CX) transformation journey about a decade ago, and a top agency official said on Wednesday that the VA has now reached a critical “acceleration point” in that process. […]
Fed CIOs: AI Surge Offers Chance to Reform Hiring
Three Federal chief information officers (CIO) said this week that the current surge of interest in AI technologies presents an opportunity for the Federal government to reform its hiring processes to meet demand for a larger AI workforce. […]
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.