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. […]
Into 2025: AI Blooming Into Major Player in Fed IT
The Biden-Harris administration released its artificial intelligence (AI) executive order (EO) at the end of 2023, but most of the work to implement the directive took place in 2024. As MeriTalk reflects on the past year – and looks toward the future of Federal IT work during the Trump-Vance administration in 2025 and beyond – AI is positioned to make impactful strides across agencies, policy, and defense. […]
Into 2025: CHIPS and Science Act Investments Year-in-Review
With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Jan. 20, the future of CHIPS and Science Act funding flows remains unclear as the incoming president has recently criticized the law. […]
Biden Makes 2% Civilian Pay Raise Official for 2025
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Monday to make the 2.0 percent pay raise for civilian Federal employees in 2025 official, marking a significant decrease from last year’s 5.2 percent pay raise. […]
FedRAMP Seeking Feedback on Possible Fee Service Model
The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is exploring creating a new funding source by potentially charging cloud providers as part of their efforts to go through the FedRAMP process. […]
Six Quantum Tech Pilots Join NSF’s National Quantum Virtual Lab
Six new pilot projects will test quantum technologies and further progress in harnessing quantum phenomena for real-world applications, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on Monday. […]
Senators Press DHS for Details on GPS Jamming Protections
A bipartisan pair of senators is asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for more information on the agency’s efforts to protect Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies from foreign threats to their operation. […]
DCSA Director Details Plan for Getting NBIS Back on Track
After a months-long pause of its next-generation background investigation system, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has outlined a plan to get the system back on track. […]
Trump Announces OSTP, Tech, Crypto Policy Appointments
President-elect Donald Trump announced key appointments on Sunday for his incoming technology team, including leadership for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST), and a new “Crypto Council.” […]
Trump Names Pentagon Picks for Top Defense Posts
President-elect Donald Trump has named his picks for several top positions at the Pentagon including deputy secretary of defense, and other high-profile acquisition, research, and policy posts. […]
NORAD Fires Up Santa Tracker for 69th Year
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) once again confirmed it has a special mission on Dec. 24: to track Santa Claus’ Christmas journey, marking its 69th year of tracking Santa’s whereabouts as he and his reindeer travel around the world. […]
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.