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. […]
FCC, NTIA Say Slow Spectrum Process Is Ending as New Law Kicks In
Federal spectrum officials say the era of years-long studies and slow-moving coordination is ending, as new congressional deadlines and closer Federal Communications Commission (FCC)–National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) cooperation push the government to free up more airwaves for artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. […]
Army Activates Rapid Anti-Drone Team
The U.S. Army’s Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) activated its first operational team designed to rapidly counter drone threats to military installations. […]
House Votes to End Historic Government Shutdown
The House of Representatives voted 222-209 on Wednesday evening to approve a funding package to reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. […]
AI Takes Center Stage in New Federal Education Grants
The Department of Education is making artificial intelligence (AI) exposure and literacy a top priority in a key higher education grant program, aligning with White House efforts to expand AI use across educational institutions. […]
Senate Democrats Blame Trump’s AI Agenda for Americans’ Soaring Energy Bills
Senate Democrats are demanding answers from the White House over climbing electricity bills, which they say are being driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. […]
DOD Seeks Input on New RETS Support Contract
The Pentagon is inviting industry partners to share their capabilities for a major upcoming contract that will provide critical engineering and technical services supporting the department’s research and innovation mission. […]
Garfield Jones Leaves CISA, Joins QuSecure
Garfield “Gary” Jones stepped down as the associate chief of strategic technology at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – where he led the agency’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) initiative – to join QuSecure as senior vice president of research and technology strategy. […]
New Survey to Capture Federal Workers’ Voices After OPM Cancels FEVS
Federal employees will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the workplace in a new independent survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service. […]
Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Plans to Counter US Adversary Alignment
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are calling for a new, whole-of-government strategy to disrupt the growing cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. […]
Longtime CIO Gary Washington Departs USDA
Gary Washington, the longtime chief information officer (CIO) at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is leaving government service and will join the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) later this month. […]
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?
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