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. […]
Tech Groups Urge White House to Protect Federal AI Initiatives, Workforce
A bevy of tech-sector and public interest groups are calling on the Trump administration to maintain current guidance on Federal agency artificial intelligence use case inventories to ensure transparency and accountability in government AI deployment, while others are pleading with the administration to not slash the Federal workforce critical to AI innovation. […]
Senators Clash Over ‘Golden Dome’ Funding, Priorities
Senators clashed on March 13 over President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, with key disagreements about funding and priorities at a Punchbowl News “pop-up” conversation on space policy. […]
Federal AI at a Crossroads: Urgent Action Needed to Scale Beyond Pilots
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize Federal operations, but agencies are struggling to move beyond pilot programs. A new MeriTalk study, “Tech Tonic: 2025 Federal CAIO Outlook,” reveals that while AI use cases have doubled over the past year, government leaders face systemic hurdles in scaling AI for real mission impact. […]
GAO Flags Security Flaws in Treasury’s General Fund Oversight
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is flagging flaws in the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s management of system security plans (SSPs) for the Federal government’s central banking account, which it said has limited insight into the accuracy of financial information. […]
DISA’s Seville Talks Challenges of Dynamic IT Ecosystem
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) oversees a vast and dynamic IT ecosystem that supports a wide range of operations – from the Department of Defense’s (DoD) classified mission systems to a host of other critical functions – and that scope presents unique challenges, an top agency tech official explained this week. […]
Pentagon to Unveil Military Cuts With FY2026 Budget Request
The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to propose military spending cuts alongside its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request, according to a letter from Pentagon leaders to Congress. […]
‘Radical Change’ Needed to Make AI a National Priority
As Federal agencies continue to see cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a “radical change” is needed across the Federal government to invest in artificial intelligence technologies and make their use a national priority. […]
Trump Taps Eric Ueland for Key OMB Tech, Management Role
President Donald Trump has nominated Eric Ueland, a veteran Senate and White House aide, to serve as the deputy director for management (DDM) at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). […]
Rep. Connolly Wants Answers on Agencies’ AI Use
House Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is demanding answers from Federal agencies regarding their use of AI technologies – particularly in connection with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) activities – and whether they are complying with Federal security laws. […]
NIST Adds HQC as Fifth Algorithm for Post-Quantum Encryption
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected HQC as its fifth standard for post-quantum encryption, providing an additional layer of security to protect encrypted data against potential threats from future quantum computers. […]
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.