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. […]
Meet CHAPPIE, the Space Force’s Nuclear ‘Sniffing’ Robot Dog
Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colo., is home to one of the Defense Department’s (DoD) two chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles – otherwise known as a robot dog. […]
NIST AISI Establishes New Taskforce
The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced this week that its AI Safety Institute (AISI) has formed the Testing Risks of AI for National Security (TRAINS) Taskforce, bringing together partners from across the Federal government to identify and manage the national security implications of AI. […]
Air Force Intelligence Community Taps Laura Drummer as CDO
The U.S. Air Force has tapped Laura Drummer to serve as the new chief data officer (CDO) for the Air Force intelligence community. […]
CISA Touts Red Team Probe That Infiltrated CI Target
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said on Thursday that it recently conducted a red team assessment (RTA) at the request of an unnamed critical infrastructure organization, with mixed results. […]
FCC Opens Undersea Cable Security Push; Rosenworcel Departing
The Federal Communications Commission voted today to begin what it called a “major, comprehensive review and update of licensing rules for submarine cables” with goals including better protecting that critical communications infrastructure by, among other steps, prohibiting the use of equipment and services sold by companies based in adversarial nations including China and Russia. […]
ONCD Must Lead National Quantum Cyber Strategy, Watchdog Says
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned today that the Federal government’s shift to post-quantum cryptography will fail due to the lack of one singular entity overseeing and implementing a national strategy addressing the threat. […]
GlobalFoundries Seals $1.5B CHIPS Act Deal for U.S. Expansion
The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Wednesday that it has finalized $1.5 billion in CHIPS and Science Act funding to GlobalFoundries (GF) – the world’s third-largest contract chipmaker. […]
Feds Eye AI for Future of Cybersecurity
As cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and scale, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a critical tool for enhancing security, efficiency, and accuracy across Federal agencies, according to Federal cybersecurity experts. […]
GAO Wants Congress to Designate Agency to Oversee Data Security
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is suggesting in a new report that Congress designate an agency to issue government-wide guidance or regulations to help protect Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties while using personal data. […]
VA CIO Says Budget, Workforce Shortages Stifling Cybersecurity
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Kurt DelBene told lawmakers on Wednesday that the agency’s cybersecurity capabilities are suffering from a shortage of skilled IT workers that stems from a slim budget to hire enough of them. […]
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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