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. […]
Celebrate the Cyber Defenders at Tech Tonic July 18 in D.C.
Break out your beach party gear for the coolest bash of the summer at MeriTalk Tech Tonic on July 18 at Morton’s The Steakhouse in D.C. Join us from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. where we will beat the heat and celebrate the cutting-edge security pros who are taking home this year’s Cyber Defenders awards. […]
DHS OIG: Coast Guard Must Do More to Protect MTS From Cyberattacks
A new report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) says that the United States Coast Guard needs to do more to improve the cybersecurity of the Marine Transportation System (MTS) in order to better protect the U.S. supply chain. […]
MeriTalk Q&A: CISA Looks to Demystify Cybersecurity Through ‘Secure Our World’
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) wants cybersecurity for the average American to become second nature – as normalized as putting on your seatbelt when you get into a car. However, cybersecurity is often misunderstood by those outside of the field, who view it as a job reserved for IT professionals in a high-tech environment. […]
New Senate Bill to Curb Feds Purchasing IT From ‘Grey-Market’
Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced new legislation that would prohibit Federal agencies from buying technology products from “grey-market” sellers rather than authorized dealers. […]
GAO: DoD IT Systems Over Budget, Late, Underperforming
The Department of Defense (DoD) spends big bucks on modernizing the IT systems it uses to run its day-to-day operations, but a lot of these systems are late to arrive and do not meet expectations, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). […]
OSTP Issues Guidelines to Improve Federal Research Security
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued new guidelines to Federal research agencies this week to improve research security and better protect U.S. research and development (R&D) work from foreign adversaries. […]
IRS Direct File Shows Value in Prototypes, Product Lead Says
The IRS’s Direct File pilot program that the agency conducted earlier this year proves the value in prototyping products in the Federal government before they are fully scaled up, the project’s product lead said during the Biden-Harris President’s Management Agenda event on July 10. […]
Senate Vote Brings Federal Labor Relations Authority to Full Strength
The Senate on July 10 voted to approve the nomination of Anne Marie Wagner for a five-year term on the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), which is charged with promoting and establishing fair labor practices in the Federal government. […]
New Senate Bill Aims to Advance AI at Energy Dept.
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V. – chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced a bipartisan bill this week that aims to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at the Department of Energy (DoE). […]
MeriTalk Q&A: DISA’s Cloud Management Platform on the Horizon
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is preparing to roll out a pilot version of its Olympus managed cloud environment in September, designed to offer advanced management capabilities specifically for Pentagon cloud users. […]
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.