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. […]
State Dept. Advances ‘Full-Stack’ AI Exports With $200M Indo-Pacific Fund
The State Department announced on Thursday it will make $200 million in foreign assistance funding available to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, low-cost smartphones across the Indo-Pacific region under the new “Edge AI” package. […]
GSA Announces Phase 1 Awards for Alliant 3 Contract
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced on Friday the phase one awards of the Alliant 3 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), which has no maximum dollar ceiling. […]
House GOP Leaders Seek GAO Review of AI Laws Nationwide
Republican leaders on the House Science and Technology Committee want the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of existing federal and state laws that regulate artificial intelligence (AI). […]
GSA Names Greg Barbaccia Acting Director of TTS
The General Services Administration (GSA) today named Gregory Barbaccia as the acting director of its Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a unit that helps federal agencies modernize and deliver digital government services. […]
OMB Deepens IT Oversight, Elevates CIOs in Policy Decisions
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is looking to take a more assertive role in federal IT oversight, deepening its partnership with federal agencies while empowering chief information officers (CIOs), an OMB official said Wednesday. […]
FAA Modernization Overhaul Has Hit a Funding Wall, Secretary Says
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is out of money to execute the second phase of its modernization plan, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday morning that he believes Congress will appropriate more funds to keep the effort going. […]
Lawmakers Push for Pentagon Audit Accountability
Lawmakers are increasing pressure on the Pentagon over its inability to pass a full audit, with new legislation that provides a mix of incentives, penalties, and new investments in automation and artificial intelligence (AI). […]
FAA Launches Competitive Tech Challenge to Fast-Track IT Upgrade
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is exchanging the traditional acquisitions process for a new challenge-based approach to modernize its vast IT infrastructure – and to do so quickly. […]
Bipartisan Proposal Would Give Companies a Tax Break to Train Workers in AI
Companies that teach employees how to use and build artificial intelligence (AI) systems could receive a new tax credit for each worker they train under a bipartisan proposal introduced Wednesday by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. […]
Google Public Sector’s Jim Kelly on AI Governance, Workforce Readiness, and What It Takes to Scale
Federal agencies are moving quickly from artificial intelligence (AI) experimentation to operational deployments, but the organizations seeing real returns are treating AI as a workforce and change management effort as much as a technology upgrade, according to Jim Kelly, vice president of federal sales at Google Public Sector. […]
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.