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. […]
Sen. Cantwell Presses for Salt Typhoon Hearing
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, is pressing committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to summon top officials with Verizon Communications and AT&T to testify at a hearing about Salt Typhoon cyberattacks on their networks. […]
GSA Rethinks Federal Acquisitions as AI Reshapes Contracting
While the General Services Administration (GSA) overhauls the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), it is also grappling with how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the federal acquisition process, Jeffrey Koses, a senior GSA procurement executive, said Wednesday. […]
DIU Seeks New Sensors for Missile Defense
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is seeking commercial sensing technology that could be launched into space to help detect, track, and defeat ballistic and hypersonic threats. […]
Pentagon Officials Emphasize Securing OT Systems
The Pentagon’s ability to carry out military missions is increasingly dependent on the security of operational technology (OT). But defense officials warn that as these systems become more networked, cyber threats are growing in scale and sophistication – requiring predictive monitoring and resilient architectures across the Defense Department (DOD), rebranded as the War Department by the Trump administration. […]
House Panel Advances Tech, Cyber Bills
Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday advanced several pieces of legislation – with overwhelming bipartisan support – aimed at strengthening the federal cybersecurity workforce, streamlining procurement, and reducing national security risks in government supply chains. […]
Sen. Wyden Pledges Further Efforts to Block CISA Nominee
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is promising to continue his thus-far successful efforts to block confirmation of Sean Plankey as the Trump administration’s nominee to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). […]
House Foreign Affairs Panel Plans to Soon Codify Trump AI Action Plan
The House Foreign Affairs Committee aims to codify “pretty much all parts” of the Trump administration’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan in the coming months, according to Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. […]
Obernolte: Bipartisan, Sector-by-Sector AI Regulation Is the Way Forward
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., is backing a federal artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory plan built on sector-by-sector oversight, codifying the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), and preserving states’ ability to legislate without intruding on federal interstate commerce authority. […]
OPM Finalizes Rule Making It Easier to Fire Federal Employees
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a final rule on Thursday establishing Schedule Policy/Career in the excepted service, a move that makes it easier for the Trump administration to fire federal employees in policy-making positions. […]
Federal CIO Looks to Overhaul Metrics, Government Websites
Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Greg Barbaccia said on Thursday that the Trump administration is shifting from static, point-in-time metrics toward outcome-driven ones, signaling changes to how federal agencies measure success and design federal websites. […]
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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