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. […]
Democrats Press Palantir on Alleged Data Surveillance Scheme
A bicameral group of Democrats is pressing Palantir on reported efforts to build a mega-database on Americans’ tax data and other information that the lawmakers warned would violate numerous Federal privacy statutes. […]
Sen. Gillibrand Grills Hegseth on DoD UAS Posture
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday to spell out the Pentagon’s investments in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and their countermeasures (C-UAS), citing escalating concerns about the threat such systems pose to U.S. forces and critical infrastructure. […]
ICE Seeks AI-Powered Sweeping Surveillance Tool
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking an artificial intelligence-powered investigative analytics platform to uncover and disrupt transnational criminal networks – and monitor a million people. […]
NIST Seeks Input on Newly Announced Chatbot
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants feedback on a newly developed chatbot for its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) to streamline the cybersecurity guidelines that it creates. […]
NSF Looking for Feedback on TIP Directorate’s Focus Areas
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking for input on potential updates to the technology focus areas of its Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). […]
DoE to Launch 3 Small Nuclear Reactors by 2026
The Department of Energy (DoE) will have at least three small modular reactors (SMRs) running by July of next year, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress on Wednesday – announcing a significant step forward for next-generation nuclear energy. […]
GAO: Army Falling Short on Modern Design Tools, Development Practices
The U.S. Army is working to modernize its air and missile defense systems, but its failure to fully adopt modern design tools and industry best practices has slowed progress and may be driving up costs, a Federal watchdog said. […]
NNSA CIO Touts Agency’s Fifth Enterprise-Wide Cloud Environment
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has officially launched its fifth enterprise-wide cloud environment, marking a significant step toward operational efficiency and reduced costs. […]
Sen. Gillibrand Presses DoD Secretary on Cyber Workforce Shortages
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today about the Defense Department’s (DoD) struggle to recruit and retain cyber talent amid a civilian hiring freeze and unfunded workforce development programs. […]
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. […]
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?
The MeriTalk “Industry Insider” column, offers a weekly news roundup of contracts and other activity in the Federal IT industry. Check with MeriTalk daily for the government technology news you need to know, or subscribe to get the latest stories delivered directly to your inbox. You’ll stay up to date with interesting and timely Federal IT stories on cybersecurity, big data, data center modernization, cloud, mobile, and other developments in your community – from what’s next for the MGT Act to the highly anticipated Federal IT revolving capital fund, MeriTalk brings you the trends and breaking IT news to help you modernize, innovate, and transform public sector technology and the missions you support.