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. […]
NIST Wants Feedback on Zero Trust Architecture Guide
The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) is looking for public feedback on the draft of its new practice guide, Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture. […]
FCC Names IoT Security Device Labeling Administrator
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has named UL Solutions – known up until 2012 as Underwriters Laboratories – to take on the role of lead administrator in the agency’s voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless Internet of Things (IoT) devices marketed to consumers. […]
Polaris GWAC Nears BIC Designation, Features On-Ramps, Tech Refreshes
General Services Administration (GSA) Deputy Assistant Commissioner Larry Hale on Dec. 6 ran down the latest developments on several forthcoming governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs), including the Polaris GWAC – which is aimed at small businesses – earning a best-in-class (BIC) designation. […]
Trump’s New ‘AI & Crypto Czar’ Reinforces Likely AI Policy Changes
President-elect Trump’s decision to appoint a prominent Silicon Valley investor to oversee Federal artificial intelligence (AI) policy points to changes that may be coming in how the government approaches its use of the technology – including what is expected to be a looser regulatory style and a possible repeal or modification of President Biden’s AI executive order (EO). […]
Pentagon Unveils Strategy to Counter Drones
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced a classified strategy aimed at creating a unified and comprehensive approach to counter the growing threat of drones. […]
Army G-6 Appoints new Director of Network C4 Systems
The U.S. Army has appointed Brig. Gen. Marne L. Sutten as the new director of the Network Command, Control, Cyber Communications (C4) Systems Integration at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff or the G-6, the Pentagon announced last week. […]
Senators Look to Create AI, Cloud Service Competition at DoD
A bipartisan pair of senators is looking to promote a more competitive playing field for vendors of cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies looking to sell those services to the Pentagon. […]
Senate DOGE Leader Ernst Leading Charge to Limit Fed Telework
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, released a report on Thursday focused on reforming government telework policies, relocating Federal employees away from Washington, and selling off underutilized government real estate. […]
FCC Pushing Telcos to Certify Security Amid Salt Typhoon Hacks
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is mounting a quick effort to push telecom service providers to certify they are taking steps to strengthen their networks from cyberattacks following the China-sponsored Salt Typhoon hacks of U.S.-based carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen – and as many as eight providers in all. […]
Rep. Swalwell to Trump: Don’t Cut CISA Funding
A leading Democratic member of the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday urged the incoming Trump administration to spare the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in its much-publicized plans to increase Federal efficiency by potentially eliminating some government operations. […]
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.
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