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: IRS Lacking Workforce, Planning for AI Ambitions
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is short on skilled employees to develop artificial intelligence (AI) tools – and a plan to address that problem – the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report issued on March 24. […]
Rep. Guthrie Pushes Bipartisan Permitting Reform to Boost Grid Reliability
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., on Wednesday called for bipartisan permitting reform to accelerate energy infrastructure development, warning that fragmented decision-making is slowing projects and putting electric grid reliability at risk. […]
DOD CIO Says JWCC Next Will Improve Cloud Oversight
The Pentagon’s next iteration of the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract, dubbed “JWCC Next,” will offer enhanced financial oversight and clarity on cloud spending, according to Department of Defense (DOD) Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies. […]
New Space Force Squadrons Defend Against Cyber Threats
The U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command now has two Defensive Cyber Operations Squadrons to defend its launch ranges from cyber threats during launch operations, the command announced recently. […]
Sen. Warren Presses Hegseth on Anthropic Dispute
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is asking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain why the Pentagon branded Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” claiming that the move appears to be retaliatory. […]
House Bill Targets VA EHRM Program With Performance Benchmarks, Exit Option
A new bill introduced by Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make measurable improvements to its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program or ditch the contract with Oracle Cerner altogether. […]
Rep. Pfluger Warns of AI Threat, Seeks GAO Probe
A congressman who is influential on homeland security matters is asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by violent extremists and other illicit actors, saying it poses “a broad and evolving national security threat.” […]
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. […]
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.