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. […]
TSA Using AI to Enhance GEOINT Data
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking at how it can integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its Geographic Information Infrastructure (GII), which is a shared sensitive but unclassified platform that provides critical geospatial capabilities across the Homeland Security Enterprise. […]
Commerce IG Report Reveals Major Flaws in BIS Cyber Response
A recent Commerce Department watchdog report has revealed critical deficiencies in the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) ability to detect and respond to sophisticated cyberattacks, which the report says places national security at risk. […]
Pentagon Official Details DoD’s Plan to ‘Blow Up’ RMF
The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) Katie Arrington has publicized her goal of “blowing up” the Risk Management Framework (RMF), but what does that actually mean? […]
GAO Tells OPM It Should Issue Remote Work Guidance
While the Trump administration has largely ended remote work for many Federal employees, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to issue new guidance for agencies that are offering remote work. […]
Senators Want to Harness AI to Reduce Medicare Fraud
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate on June 13 aims to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare system by harnessing artificial intelligence technologies for that task. […]
Defense Officials: Smarter Data Use Key to Crisis-Ready Military
U.S. military officials said today that for responding swiftly and effectively during crises real-time data is now as critical as boots on the ground — and that’s why military services are making data management a top priority, aiming to enable smarter decisions, sharper resource deployment, and clearer communications when it matters most. […]
Space Force’s First Next-Gen OPIR GEO Satellites Launch Pushed to 2026
The U.S. Space Force is delaying the launch of its first next-generation missile warning satellite to geosynchronous (GEO) Earth orbit from late 2025 to “no earlier” than March 2026, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). […]
Army Names Brandon Pugh Principal Cyber Advisor
The Department of the Army has named Brandon Pugh as principal cyber advisor, with the top-level duties of advising the secretary of the Army and the Army chief of staff on cyber matters and implementing the Pentagon’s cyber strategy in the Army. […]
House Committee OKs Bill to Advance Quantum-Resistant Encryption
A bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening U.S. cryptography research and accelerating the deployment of quantum-resistant encryption cleared the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee last week. The bill now heads to the full House for further consideration. […]
Senate Reconciliation Bill Targets Federal Workforce Protections
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Republicans released the text of their reconciliation bill on Friday, which contains language that would make it easier for the Trump administration to fire Federal employees. […]
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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