Fresh off his induction into the 2024 class of Cyber Defenders, we were thrilled to grab a half hour with Paul Blahusch – who is director of cybersecurity and chief information security officer at the Department of Labor – for a wide-ranging talk about the security opportunities and challenges surrounding artificial intelligence, zero trust security, the coming quantum computing wave, and the importance of collaboration among Federal security leaders. […]
Data can’t be perfect, but it can be managed using a “food label” approach that reflects who and what the data was created for – all of which can increase the useful of data for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) official said on Sept. 12. […]
A senior Democratic lawmaker expressed concerns today about the United States’ ability to meet growing energy demands that are accompanying the surge of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, particularly when it comes to beating China in the tech race. […]
The State Department’s Office of Cyber Monitoring and Operations is zeroing in on two AI use cases to better defend against cyber threats, with Director Manuel “Manny” Medrano announcing today that the agency plans to build a cyber data visualization for its analysts by the end of the year. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving ahead with implementing its U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program for wireless internet of things (IoT) devices by seeking administrators to certify the use of the agency’s IoT security labeling by product manufacturers who demonstrate that they are complying with the labeling program’s rules. […]
The Department of Commerce this week rolled out its new SCALE supply chain risk assessment tool that the agency said will increase the government’s ability to be “more proactive and strategic” about assessing structural supply chain risks across the country. […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling for new tech project leadership and oversight at the Department of the Interior following a failed effort to modernize one of the agency’s critical IT systems. […]
Members of Congress are not happy with recent budget shortfalls at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the budgets for its IT modernization projects continue to swell, with one lawmaker calling on the agency to “abandon” its electronic health record (EHR) system immediately. […]
The Commerce Department is set to publish a proposed rule on Wednesday that aims to implement reporting requirements for U.S. companies regarding the development of dual-use foundation artificial intelligence (AI) models. […]
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has tapped Taka Ariga to serve as the agency’s chief data officer (CDO) – his first day was Monday. […]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wants more information on the challenges surrounding data center growth, resilience, and security “amidst a surge of computing power demand due to the development of critical and emerging technologies.” […]
The nuclear energy industry should prioritize “safety and security” in its deployment of artificial intelligence systems, according to a recent report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued an update to the Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual (FISCAM), which provides auditors with a methodology and framework for evaluating information systems controls. […]
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Thursday that it will now allow an electronic signature – rather than a physical signature – for more than 30 documents, which make up 90 percent of the most commonly used forms. […]
While it may seem like many Federal agencies are already using artificial intelligence, an official from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shared on Sept. 4 that the Federal government is really just in the beginning stages of deploying the emerging technology. […]
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is receiving a $23 million investment from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to modernize its case management system. […]
The U.S. State Department – which works with other countries to make sure that undersea communications cables are secure against meddling – is prioritizing the further development of “trusted undersea cables” as cybersecurity threats from China and other adversaries continue to grow, the agency’s top cybersecurity official said on Sept. 3. […]
Since the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022, the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has hit the ground running to reach its goal of the United States being the only country in the world that invents, designs, manufactures, and packages leading edge chips by 2030. […]
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has received $100 million in Federal funding to help pay for a new high-performance computer (HPC) system that will harness artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities to tackle advanced climate and weather research. […]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded a $75 million contract to Accenture Federal Services (AFS) to scale the use of artificial intelligence and modernize the patent examination process. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Associate Director for China Operations, Andrew Scott, has stepped down from his role, a CISA spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has launched a new streamlined cyber incident reporting portal featuring enhanced reporting and security features, as well as a new “collaboration” function that allows users to have informal discussions with CISA. […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a new report on Aug. 28 that reveals that poor planning by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in an IT modernization project led to significant delays and more than doubled the original contract cost. […]
Most Americans view most Federal government agencies favorably according to a new Pew Research Center survey report – with the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Postal Service, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) topping the list in favorability. […]
A new report out from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlines 37 open recommendations that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should prioritize, including an important one at the heart of how DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) undertakes its mission. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hosted its seventh annual Tabletop the Vote election security exercise on Aug. 22-23 and Aug. 26-27. […]
The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI), housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), announced today it has signed first-of-their-kind research and testing agreements with Anthropic and OpenAI – a key step in allowing the government to access and assess the companies’ latest AI models. […]
When the Office of Commercial Space Transportation was established at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1984, it took the agency five years to commission its first mission. […]
The General Services Administration (GSA) has extended the deadline for vendors to submit their proposals for the Alliant 3 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) from Oct. 28 of this year to Jan. 10, 2025. […]
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Aug. 27 that it’s moving its application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – which provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults with little to no income and resources – online starting in December. […]