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. […]
FBI Cyber Division’s Operation Winter SHIELD Gains Momentum Nationwide
The FBI Cyber Division’s latest initiative, Operation Winter SHIELD, is growing as more field offices join the cybersecurity defense campaign that aims to turn lessons from investigations into high-impact actions that organizations can take to strengthen their defenses. […]
GAO: Data Sharing Delivers Millions, but SSA’s Cost Model Falls Short
A three-year pilot gave the Treasury Department access to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) full Death Master File and generated nearly $109 million in net benefits in its first year, but the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says SSA’s approach to paying states and allocating data costs doesn’t meet statutory requirements. […]
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Bring Environmental Permitting Into the Digital Age
A bipartisan group of senators are pushing for a new modernized and digital environmental permitting system under a legislative proposal introduced Tuesday. […]
Pentagon Wrestles With AI Acceleration Mandate, Risk
Military officials said Wednesday that the Pentagon’s mandate to speed artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has the services wrestling to balance speed and safety while managing security, governance, and workforce challenges. […]
State Department Pursues AI, Enterprise IT Simplification in 2026
The State Department is undertaking a comprehensive modernization plan to streamline operations, advance artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and update core technology systems in 2026, the department’s chief information officer, Kelly Fletcher, said Thursday. […]
FEHRM CTO Voices Confidence as VA Prepares to Restart EHR Rollout in April
With the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) preparing to restart deployments of its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program in April, a senior federal health IT leader said Thursday that the effort is entering a new phase shaped by hard lessons learned and growing confidence in the underlying system. […]
CISA Guides OT Operators to Ease Security Costs, Complexity
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued new guidance to owners and operators of operational technology (OT) that is aimed at helping them reduce security costs and complexity. […]
NIST Targets AI, Quantum, Chips With SBIR Funding Awards
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has gone public with several new funding awards to U.S.-based small businesses developing artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and other technologies. […]
CMS Expands AI Use as Weekly Adoption Hits 80%, CIO Says
The numbers are in – artificial intelligence (AI) has saved the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 11,000 hours per week across the agency, and 80% of employees use the technology weekly, CMS Chief Information Officer (CIO) Patrick Newbold said Wednesday. […]
Navy Details Hedge Strategy, Drone Plans
The U.S. Navy’s top officer provided further details Tuesday on the service’s Hedge Strategy, specifically on the “tailored forces” and “tailored offsets” portion of the strategy. […]
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?
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