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. […]
EPA Watchdog Flags Untracked Software, Gaps in IT Oversight
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as of late last year lacked the controls needed to comprehensively track its information systems and software assets, according to a watchdog report that uncovered nearly $6 million in potentially unaccounted-for software licenses. […]
AI on Trial: Liability Laws Threaten Tech Innovation
As industry and government officials look to innovate further in artificial intelligence technologies, legal uncertainty around who’s responsible when AI goes wrong may quickly become a challenge in responsible development. […]
CBP CIO: Application Tier Cloud Migration Almost Complete
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency is making significant strides toward completing its cloud migration initiative, with nearly 85 percent of its application tier already transitioned to the cloud, a senior agency tech official said. […]
Chris Krebs Leaves SentinelOne to Battle Trump’s Accusations Head-On
Chris Krebs, who formerly led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said he is leaving SentinelOne to face President Donald Trump’s accusations against him. […]
OIG: DoD Could’ve Saved $426M Moving SPACECOM HQ to Alabama
A new watchdog report reignites the debate about where the U.S. Space Command’s (SPACECOM) permanent headquarters should be located – Alabama or Colorado. […]
Rep. Connolly Demands Probe Into DOGE Overhaul of SSA Tech Systems
Rep. Gerry Connolly is calling for an immediate investigation into what he says are chaotic and dangerous efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to overhaul the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its technology systems, warning that those actions are “putting SSA benefits and Americans’ sensitive data at risk.” […]
FedRAMP PMO Drafting Standard for Low-Impact Key Security Indicators
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s (FedRAMP) Program Management Office (PMO) is in the process of drafting a standard for low-impact key security indicators (KSIs) as part of ongoing work on the program’s “20x” revamp unveiled on March 24. […]
AFRL Seeking New Proposals for SOUP AI Program
The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) is serving up a new solicitation for its SOUP – Sensing Operation Using Prediction – program, seeking proposals to develop advanced AI technologies that strengthen the military’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. […]
Quantum Goes Orbital as DoE Explores Space-Based Networking
The Department of Energy (DoE) is headed into uncharted territory in its latest efforts in quantum tech – it’s headed to space in collaboration with a growing list of Federal agencies and goals, a top agency official said on Wednesday. […]
GSA Awards Fortress $919M Contract for Supply Chain Cybersecurity
The General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded a $919 million contract to Fortress Government Solutions to fortify the Federal government’s supply chains using artificial intelligence-powered solutions. […]
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.