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. […]
Capito, Himes Back Plan to Accelerate Federal Cloud Service Adoption
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., are backing the conclusions from a new report the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Federal Cloud Policy published on Jan. 16 that highlights the critical need for Federal agencies to accelerate the adoption of cloud technologies. […]
Trump Picks IBM’s Darío Gil for DoE Science and Innovation Post
President-elect Trump announced on Jan. 16 that he will nominate Darío Gil, senior vice president at IBM Research, to become the Department of Energy’s undersecretary for science and innovation. […]
Lawmakers Mount Fresh Effort to Block Schedule F Move
House and Senate lawmakers have reintroduced the Saving the Civil Service Act which aims to blunt an expected push by the incoming Trump administration to create a new Schedule F classification for Federal agency employees in policy-making positions that would make it easier to replace them by the new administration. […]
Bordelon Heads to Commerce as New CTO, DCIO
Brian Bordelon has left his role as the deputy chief information officer (CIO) at the Department of Education to join the Department of Commerce as the agency’s chief technology officer (CTO) and deputy CIO. […]
GSA-Microsoft Pact Aims to Boost Security, Cut Costs
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced on Jan. 16 that Microsoft and GSA’s IT Vendor Management Office (ITVMO) have struck a preliminary agreement that the agency said will help streamline IT acquisition processes and bolster cybersecurity across Federal agencies. […]
Connolly, Schatz Reintroduce FAIR Act to Give Feds 4.3% Pay Raise
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, today introduced the latest version of their Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, which would provide Federal employees with a 4.3 percent pay increase in calendar year 2026. […]
New Cybersecurity Order Keys on Fed Systems, Cloud, Software Steps
President Biden’s latest cybersecurity-themed executive order issued today aims to engineer security improvements in at least a dozen major areas, with Federal agency systems, cloud services, and software emerging as prominent topics on an exhaustive list of security policy items. […]
House Oversight Members Clash Over Telework’s Future
Democrats and Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee showed deep divisions of opinion on the value of telework for Federal government agencies, and whether increased telework since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic has helped or harmed the ability of agencies to deliver services to citizens. […]
OMB Sets OPEN Government Data Act Guidance, Re-Ups CDO Council
The Biden administration on Jan. 15 released guidance to Federal agencies on implementing the OPEN Government Data Act – six years after the law went into effect. […]
CIA Nominee Vows to Help US Win Tech Race
John Ratcliffe, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, pledged to lawmakers on Wednesday to keep the United States – and the intelligence agency – ahead of foreign adversaries on key emerging technology issues if the Senate confirms his nomination. […]
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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