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. […]
Rep. Swalwell: Trump’s Cyber EO Leaves States Defenseless
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., called out President Trump’s recent cybersecurity executive order (EO) today, asserting that it leaves states vulnerable to future cyberattacks. […]
Sen. Peters Queries 24 Agencies on Illegal DOGE Data Use
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is asking 24 Federal agencies to explain how and whether the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and DOGE-affiliated individuals have accessed and used data in Federal IT systems. […]
Pentagon Launches New Data Integration Experiments
The Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Data and AI Office (CDAO) has launched a new series of experiments aimed at improving data integration and ensuring operators can fully leverage advanced command-and-control (C2) capabilities, according to a senior Pentagon tech official. […]
Lawmakers and Experts Split on How to Power AI’s Future
Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the House Oversight and Reform Committee clashed over methods of meeting the increasing power demands for artificial intelligence data centers during a Tuesday hearing on the topic. […]
Joint Chiefs Nominee Urges Changes in DoD Budget, Requirements Process
Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, who is President Trump’s nominee to be the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, told lawmakers today that the Department of Defense’s (DoD) budget and requirements process need significant reforms to better address evolving threats facing the United States. […]
Witnesses Urge Improvements for ‘Essential’ State/Local Cyber Grant Program
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) is up for reauthorization this year, and cybersecurity experts testified before Congress on Tuesday to explain that the program is working but may need some tweaks to make it more effective. […]
White House Wraps CHIPS Office Into New US ‘Investment Accelerator’
An executive order issued by the White House on March 31 is wrapping the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Program Office into a newly created United States Investment Accelerator that will have the mission of smoothing the way for foreign and domestic business investments exceeding $1 billion. […]
Appeals Court Halts Judge’s Order for DOGE Records
Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) scored a temporary win last week, with a Federal appeals court sparing them from revealing their spending-cut plans and authority – at least for now. […]
GSA MAS Overhaul Impacts IT Contracting, Adds AI and Cloud Categories
In its Multiple Awards Schedule (MAS) refresh set to take hold next month, the General Services Administration (GSA) is introducing more defined subcategories under information technology contracting. […]
Senate Confirms Lawrence as VA Deputy, EHRM Boss
The Senate has confirmed Paul Lawrence to become the deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), putting him in charge of overseeing the VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. […]
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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