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. […]
DISA Officials: Agency on Track in Pentagon Acquisition Reform Effort
As the Pentagon pushes sweeping acquisition reforms aimed at speeding how the department buys and fields “functionally relevant capabilities,” senior officials at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) said the agency is largely on track to meet the new requirements. […]
NDAA Drops AI Moratorium, TMF Renewal, but Packs Major Cyber Provisions
After months of negotiations, the compromise version of the annual defense policy bill is in – but it left out a proposed artificial intelligence (AI) moratorium and reauthorization of the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), instead including major cybersecurity and AI amendments. […]
Congress Reaches Deal on FY26 Defense Bill
House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise on Sunday evening for the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a sweeping defense bill that makes a major push to reform defense acquisition while adding a slate of cybersecurity provisions, measures to advance military innovation, and a new joint drone program. […]
ISC2 Report: Cyber Experts Say They Need Skills More Than Headcount
As global cybersecurity hiring begins to stabilize after years of layoffs and frozen budgets, skills gaps loom large as one of the greatest challenges facing the cybersecurity workforce, the new annual ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study found. […]
China-Linked Malware Hid in Networks for Months, CISA Warns
China-linked backdoor malware gave cyber actors access for at least 17 months into numerous organizations’ networks, the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) warned in a joint-advisory. […]
Trump National Security Strategy Centers Tech Dominance, Western Hemisphere Power
President Donald Trump’s national security priorities for his second term zero in on technological dominance and economic strength while growing the U.S. presence in the Western Hemisphere. […]
MDA Clears 1,014 Firms for SHIELD Awards
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) named 1,014 companies eligible to compete for work under the first phase of its Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) contracting vehicle this week. […]
CISA Issues Guidance for Integration of AI With Operational Tech
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – along with Australian and other international government partners – released on Dec. 3 a new guide for the secure integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into operational technologies (OT). […]
Education, Enterprise Compute, and Hands-On Sprints Turn Into Mission Impact
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is building an artificial intelligence (AI)-ready force the way a teaching hospital trains clinicians: rigorous classroom learning, side-by-side practice on world-class technology, and real problems. […]
From Noise to Mission Assurance: Splunk Users Show How to Get Proactive on Air and Insider Threats
Across mission networks and insider risk programs, practitioners are shifting from reactive firefighting to proactive, risk-aware operations, elevating signal over noise so leaders can act faster and with more confidence. […]
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.