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. […]
Hill Commission: Biotech’s Future Is AI-Driven, US Can’t Fall Behind
Artificial intelligence is making headway into much more than just information technology, it’s advancing biotechnology too – that’s according to the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology in their latest report delivered to Congress. […]
DoD Plans to Restructure $48B Tech Research Contract, Seeks Feedback
The Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to restructure a $48 billion technology research and development contract vehicle and is looking to industry for guidance on how to shape the recompete. […]
White House: Feds Should Buy ‘Commercial’ Gear, Not ‘Custom’-Made
President Donald Trump issued two key executive orders on Tuesday night – one that seeks to pare down the existing Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to make it more efficient – and a second that directs the government to “prioritize” acquisitions of “commercially available” products and services rather than “non-commercial, custom products or services.” […]
NIST Updates Privacy Framework to Reflect Cyber Guidelines
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a draft update of its Privacy Framework (PFW) on Monday to allow organizations to use it seamlessly with the agency’s Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0. […]
US Navy CISO Alvin ‘Tony’ Plater Retires, Heading to Private Sector
Alvin “Tony” Plater, who has served as the Department of the Navy’s chief information security officer (CISO) since 2021, said he has retired from Federal service. […]
OSTP Director Kratsios Calls for ‘Creative’ Approach to R&D Spending
In his first public remarks since his Senate confirmation, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios said the United States must make “smart choices” to creatively distribute its research and development (R&D) funding and speed up the pace of R&D awards. […]
Senators Demand Answers on ‘Catastrophic’ Federal Layoff Plans
A group of Senate Democrats is pressing the Trump administration for information on pending Federal agency layoffs and warning of possible “catastrophic” consequences from what they called the administration’s “strategic hollowing out” of the government workforce. […]
Space Command Hands Hegseth ‘Golden Dome’ Recommendations
The U.S. Space Command has submitted its recommendations for President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for review, a spokesperson for the agency told MeriTalk. […]
Census Bureau CIO to Retire at End of April
Luis Cano, the chief information officer (CIO) at the U.S. Census Bureau, is set to retire on April 30. […]
The Quantum Shift: Securing Government Systems in an Evolving Landscape
Quantum computing is poised to transform industries, including how government agencies operate, but its arrival will bring both exciting possibilities and significant challenges – particularly in cybersecurity. As agencies brace for the potential risks posed by quantum-enabled threats, they must also prepare for disruptions from other emerging technologies on the horizon. […]
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.