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. […]
GAO: CISA 15 Proves its Worth as Sunset Nears
As it nears its sunset date this fall, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 has succeeded in improving Federal agencies’ ability to share cyber threat data – a feat that would have been less likely without the law, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that highlights the law’s implementation successes. […]
Trump Administration Refuses to Share Agency RIF Plans in Court
The Trump administration is refusing to comply with a Federal judge’s request for the administration to submit its agency reduction-in-force (RIF) plans to the court, and instead is arguing that last week’s Supreme Court decision on the issue “effectively ends” the case. […]
VA Eyes OIT Reorganization for ‘Critical’ Functions, GAO Raises Concerns
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is looking to reorganize its Office of Information and Technology (OIT) workforce to focus on critical IT functions, according to the VA’s acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) Eddie Pool. […]
Senate, House FY 2026 NDAA Bills Lay Out Differing AI Paths
Senate and House lawmakers have outlined competing visions for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2026, setting the stage for negotiations over national security policy and military spending priorities and in particular laying out different next steps for the Pentagon on artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. […]
Swarm Tactics: Space Force Building Cloud-Based Training Hub
The U.S. Space Force is building a new cloud-based digital training range designed to connect guardians from across the service into a shared, simulated environment, a senior official said on July 10. […]
DoD CDAO Awards AI Deals to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, xAI
The Defense Department’s (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) said today it has awarded contracts for four prominent artificial intelligence (AI) technology developers to help the Pentagon speed adoption of “advanced AI capabilities” including agentic applications. […]
White House Selects Mark Calabria for Chief Statistician Role
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has selected Mark Calabria as chief statistician, an OMB spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk. […]
NSF Names Clyde Richards CIO
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has tapped Clyde Richards Jr. as the agency’s new chief information officer (CIO), according to a LinkedIn post. […]
Meet the AI Honors Awards Winners at Tech Tonic July 17 in D.C.
MeriTalk is out with the brand-new 2025 class of AI Honors Award Winners and you’re invited to join us in celebrating these emerging AI hotshots at Tech Tonic on July 17 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Morton’s the Steakhouse in Washington, D.C. […]
Rep. Mace Reintroduces Bill Pushing VA to Modernize With Blockchain
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., reintroduced a bill on Thursday that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use blockchain technology to improve how veterans receive their benefits and services. […]
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.