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. […]
Federal Workers Report Declining Performance, Engagement in New Survey
Most federal employees gave the government a failing grade in workforce satisfaction and engagement, a new survey intended to gauge the government’s performance revealed. […]
Senate Confirms Mullin as DHS Secretary Amid Shutdown
The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as its new secretary in a vote of 54-45 on Monday night. […]
Lofgren Takes Fourth Shot at Sweeping Data Privacy Bill
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., took another stab Thursday at legislation aimed at regulating the way consumers’ data is collected and used online, reintroducing the Online Privacy Act for the fourth time since 2019. […]
DOD, Feds Threaten ‘Severe Penalties’ for Drone Use in Restricted Areas
The Department of Defense (DOD), alongside federal partners, issued a stern warning Friday to drone operators about the potential consequences of flying unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – or drones – in restricted airspace. […]
DHS CISO Hemant Baidwan Departs After 15 Years, Joins Knox Systems
Hemant Baidwan has departed as chief information security officer (CISO) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after more than 15 years at the agency. He joined Knox Systems on Monday as executive CISO. […]
Warner Urges Tech Firms to Crack Down on Election Deepfakes
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., sent letters to major social media and artificial intelligence (AI) companies requesting they act against manipulated media, including deepfakes, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. […]
DOD CTO Predicts Minimal Disruption in Anthropic Exit
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) expects minimal disruption as it transitions away from Anthropic’s Claude technology, according to DOD’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Emil Michael. […]
Lawmakers Eye Quantum Strategy Fixes as GAO Flags Strategic Gaps
The National Quantum Initiative Act (NQI) needs some updates to enhance its efficiency and improve its oversight efforts, a federal watchdog warned ahead of a Senate committee markup on the act’s reauthorization. […]
Bostjanick to Depart DOD After 37 Years of Service
Stacy Bostjanick, the chief of defense industrial base cybersecurity within the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Chief Information Officer, will leave federal service after 37 years, a DOD spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk. […]
Space Force Establishes New Acquisition Portfolios
The U.S. Space Force is implementing all nine of its acquisition portfolios as part of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) broader efforts to reform its weapon acquisition 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.