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. […]
Cairncross: Cyber Strategy Will Focus on Disrupting Adversaries, Strengthening Partnerships
The forthcoming cybersecurity strategy from the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) will focus on imposing costs on adversaries and strengthening partnerships with industry, National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said Tuesday. […]
Report: CMMC Momentum Grows, Execution Lags
One week into the Pentagon’s effort to move its cybersecurity compliance program from policy to practice, adoption of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is gaining momentum, but execution remains slow, according to a new industry survey. […]
2026 Federal CIO Forecast: Shifting Priorities, Enterprise Focus
MeriTalk recently sat down with Suri Durvasula, vice president, federal, Dell Technologies, to discuss the findings of the Tech Tonic: FY26 Federal CIO Forecast. Our conversation covered lots of ground: shifts in federal IT priorities, modernization while reducing costs, the foundation for effective AI implementation, and why industry should come together to accelerate government progress. […]
CIOs to Feds: Fix the Pipes or Forget the Prompts
Artificial intelligence (AI) has climbed to the top of federal chief information officers’ (CIOs’) priority lists for fiscal year 2026, but leaders warn that without sustained funding and modern infrastructure, AI progress will stall, according to MeriTalk’s second annual Federal CIO Forecast. The findings, released today, draw on surveys and interviews with 10 federal CIO offices conducted in July and August. […]
GAO: Management Shortfalls Still Stall VA Disability Modernization
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must address entrenched management deficiencies that continue to delay long-needed modernization of the nation’s largest disability benefits program, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a Monday report. […]
GAO Urges DOD to Address Digital Data Risks
The Department of Defense (DOD) – which the Trump administration has rebranded as the Department of War – is not fully confronting security risks posed by the growing amount of publicly accessible digital information for its personnel and operations, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. […]
DOE Plans Public-Private Effort to Develop Advanced AI for Science
The Department of Energy (DOE) wants feedback on its plan to launch a public-private consortium to curate scientific data from its national laboratories to create advanced “self-improving” artificial intelligence (AI) models. […]
Army Picks 20 Teams for Autonomous Tech Push
The U.S. Army selected 20 industry and academic teams to continue competing for a chance to support ongoing modernization efforts aimed at accelerating autonomous capabilities for the service. […]
Senators Slam CISA for Hiding ‘Shocking’ Telecom Security Report
Continued suppression of a report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that identifies significant U.S. telecommunications vulnerabilities is undermining the public’s understanding of these threats and ability to have input on national security measures, two Democratic senators warned. […]
Noem Says Some TSA Workers to Receive $10K Bonuses
Transportation Security Agency (TSA) employees who worked during the shutdown will receive $10,000 bonuses, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday. […]
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.