The recent data breach at the Office of Personnel Management has put a spotlight on the Department of Homeland Security’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program. There have been articles and blog posts that call into question the usefulness and logic of CDM because it didn’t detect the attackers or block the exploit at OPM. […]

Writers Guidelines MeriTalk is a property of 300Brand and provides a platform for news, information and thought leadership designed to improve the outcomes of government IT. MeriTalk welcomes new, independent voices to help improve the dialogue between the public sector and industry, enhance collaboration and facilitate sharing of best practices to address the most pressing […]

— from my colleague Frank Briguglio at Dell Software… By Frank J. Briguglio, CISSP, Security Architect, Dell Software The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has stated that any government employee, contractor or military service member that has filled out the “Questionnaire for National Security Positions SF-86” since 2000 (and possibly prior) is at risk of […]

Why can’t the government successfully complete complex IT projects? This question persists whether one is talking about Healthcare.gov or the recent data breaches at the Office of Personnel Management. The primary reason is the cumbersome way the government funds IT development. With agencies subsisting from one Continuing Resolution (CR) to the next, intermittent funding wreaks […]

If you’re involved in meeting the requirements of the 30-day Federal Cybersecurity Sprint, here’s some help from Dell Software’s Paul Christman on how our solutions can assist your agency in making real, substantive progress in the Sprint’s accelerated timeframe:   On Your Mark, Get Set – Are You Ready for the Federal Cyber Sprint? By […]

Strategic sourcing is focused on reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while also delivering results, agility, and innovation. Private sector is well on its way to capitalizing on strategic sourcing, and in many industries, companies grow and die by how well they do strategic sourcing. Many of the public sector organizations, including federal, state […]

As you start your planning for 2014, consider three numbers: 90 83 1.05 During the 2014 fiscal year, sequestration will cut $90 billion in Federal discretionary spending. With the soft options already eliminated in 2013, the only decisions left are between bad and worse. Where can agencies find maximum savings with minimal pain? On average, […]

Crazy times. Furloughs froze contracting shops and requiring organizations. Last year’s playbook for year-end opportunities is no good. Everybody – inside and outside of government – trying to work out what September will bring. Here’s a take on how the Army will close ranks – from a fella who’s spent some time in the foxhole. […]