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. […]
Treasury Sanctions North Korean Hackers, Companies in Major Cybercrime Sweep
The Department of Treasury’s economic and trade sanction office on Tuesday sanctioned eight people and two organizations from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) responsible for conducting high-level cyber-enabled espionage cyberattacks. […]
Bipartisan Senators Unveil Bill Requiring AI Layoff Reporting
Federal agencies and large companies would need to report layoffs due to artificial intelligence (AI) under new legislation introduced Wednesday by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. […]
Longest Government Shutdown in History Deepens Strain on Federal Workforce
The government shutdown reached its 36th day on Wednesday – the longest in U.S. history – leaving federal employees frustrated, financially strained, and demoralized. […]
OIG: CFPB’s Cybersecurity Program ‘Not Effective,’ Citing Lapses in IT Asset Oversight
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) overall information security program is ineffective, and the agency continues to face challenges safeguarding and tracking its IT equipment, according to two recent reports from the CFPB’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). […]
DHS Expands Immigration Database to Include US Citizens, Voter Data
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formalized changes to its federal immigration database, expanding its purpose to include voter registration and verification for both noncitizens and U.S. citizens. […]
New OPM Directive Tightens Oversight of Federal Hiring
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said Wednesday that hiring committees spearheaded by Trump administration political appointees must in be place within the next two weeks to oversee hiring processes for federal civilian agencies. […]
Trump Renominates Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA
President Donald Trump renominated Jared Isaacman to serve as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), he announced on Truth Social Tuesday evening. […]
Army Seeks Info on Drone-Killing Lasers
The U.S. Army is moving forward with its plans to acquire high-energy laser weapons designed to destroy enemy drones. […]
DOE Announces $625M for National Quantum Centers
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Tuesday $625 million in funding to support its five National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers, which were originally established by the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018. […]
Senators Demand Answers as ICE Expands Facial Recognition Use
A group of senators is renewing its call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately suspend its use of a facial recognition app to identify individuals on American streets. […]
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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