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. […]
Senate Confirms Edward Forst as GSA Administrator
The Senate voted to confirm Edward Forst, a long-time Wall Street executive, to lead the General Services Administration (GSA) as its next administrator. […]
Industry Flags Gaps in DOD Software Attestations
Defense technology companies are urging the Pentagon to clarify how it verifies software security compliance, citing a lack of standardized processes for software attestations, according to a new Pentagon report. […]
Senate Confirms Kirsten Davies as Pentagon CIO
The Senate confirmed Kirsten Davies on Thursday night as the Pentagon’s new chief information officer (CIO), winning approval on a 53-43 vote. […]
Trump Nominates Rudd to Lead NSA, CYBBERCOM
President Donald Trump nominated Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), the Pentagon announced on Thursday. […]
Senate Confirms Klein as First US CTO Since 2021
The Senate confirmed Ethan Klein as the U.S. chief technology officer (CTO) on Thursday evening, making the former White House policy advisor the first person to hold the role since 2021. […]
DOE Announces 24 Research Partners for Genesis Mission
Twenty-four technology giants have committed to helping advance the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission to harness artificial intelligence (AI) for scientific innovation, the DOE announced Thursday. […]
NSF Research Security Office Working to Rebuild After Staff Losses
A key National Science Foundation (NSF) office charged under the CHIPS and Science Act with safeguarding U.S. research lost nearly half of its staff earlier this year, according to testimony before Congress on Thursday. […]
Trump Gives Federal Employees Dec. 24 and 26 Off
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon that gives most federal employees off on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. […]
Trump Makes 1% Pay Raise Official for Most Feds
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to finalize a 1% pay raise for civilian federal employees in 2026, aligning with his alternative pay plan from August. […]
Senate Confirms Isaacman as Next NASA Chief
The Senate confirmed Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator on Dec. 17, concluding a more than yearlong and unusually complicated nomination process. […]
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.