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. […]
GSA, Adobe Set 70% Discount on Paperless Government Tools
The General Services Administration (GSA) and Adobe have announced a new agreement to offer a Paperless Government Solution at a 70 percent discount through Nov. 30 as part of GSA’s drive to reduce software costs across the government. […]
Arrington: ‘Lower Three’ GHz Spectrum Critical for Golden Dome
Katie Arrington, the Pentagon’s acting chief information officer (CIO), told lawmakers on May 8 that executing on President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative will require the Department of Defense (DoD) to maintain control over vital portions of the 3 gigahertz (GHz) band of radio frequency spectrum. […]
Bipartisan Senate Bill Looks to Improve AI Testing
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced the Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence (TEST) AI Act of 2025 to strengthen the Federal government’s ability to test and evaluate AI systems. […]
Tyto Athene Acquires stackArmor
Tyto Athene, a Reston, Va.-based Federal systems integrator, said today it completed the acquisition of stackArmor, Inc., which provides compliance acceleration solutions across a wide range of Federal government policy requirements. […]
SBA Names Hartley Caldwell as New CIO Amid Leadership Shuffle
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has tapped Hartley Caldwell as what appears to be its third chief information officer (CIO) since the start of the Trump administration in January. […]
Noem Declares CISA ‘Back on Mission’ Amid Bipartisan Budget Cut Concerns
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers today that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is “back on mission,” amid concerns voiced by House and Senate members on both sides of the aisle about the Trump administration’s rationale for proposed cuts to CISA’s budget for fiscal year 2026. […]
OPM Awards HR Deal to Workday, Citing Infrastructure ‘Breakdown’
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – which acts as the human resources services arm of the Federal civilian government – has awarded a sole-source, one-year contract to Workday, Inc., to roll out a new cloud-based human capital management system for the agency with a delivery date prior to mid-July. […]
Air Force CIO: Budget Pressures Require ‘Teaming’ Approach by Industry
As the Federal government drives to cut costs across many agencies – including by paring back on some IT-related contracts – the Department of the Air Force’s top IT official is urging a fundamental shift in how industry partners approach defense contracts including adopting a multiple-services “teaming” approach. […]
Trump Plans to Rescind Biden-Era Rule on AI Chip Curbs
President Donald Trump plans to rescind a Biden-era rule that would curb the export of advanced AI chips and drew criticism from industry executives who argued the rule would have derailed AI progress and stifled technology innovation in America. […]
FBI Director Chafes at Budget Proposal, Aims to Use AI for Cyber Efforts
FBI Director Kash Patel told members of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the White House’s proposed funding for the FBI in fiscal year (FY) 2026 falls short of the agency’s requirements, especially as the FBI looks to leverage AI capabilities to help neutralize cyber threats. […]
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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