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. […]
FedRAMP Seeks Input on Continuous Reporting Standard
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) issued a call on May 9 for public comments on a proposed update to its continuous monitoring reporting rules. […]
Sen. Cotton Introduces Bill to Safeguard Advanced AI Chips
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced a bill late last week that looks to protect advanced AI chips from falling into the hands of U.S. adversaries through stricter oversight of chips – and research into potential chip security mechanisms. […]
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Agency RIFs
A Federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing its large-scale layoff plans – also known as reductions in force (RIFs) – across much of the Federal government. […]
OUSD Official Tapped as Next Army Acquisition Chief
Brent Ingraham, the Pentagon’s acting deputy undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, has been nominated as the next U.S. Army acquisition chief. […]
OPM Cancels Solicitation for HR System Overhaul
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has canceled its solicitation for a new cloud-based human capital management system. […]
Reconciliation: $500M for Commerce AI, Damper on State AI Regs
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., is pushing to give the Commerce Department an extra $500 million for artificial intelligence (AI) tech capabilities – and to block state AI regulations – through the budget reconciliation process that is kicking off in Congress this week. […]
Pentagon to Implement ‘Anything-as-a-Service’ Pilot Program
The Department of Defense (DoD) is implementing an initial set of product and service codes (PSCs) for a new pilot program aimed at streamlining access to on-demand capabilities such as software, hardware, data, and services. […]
FDA to Deploy AI Research Tool Across All Centers by Summer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that it will scale the use of artificial intelligence across its 11 centers by early summer after successfully piloting a new tool for research purposes. […]
EPA IG Flags Weak Security on Central Data Exchange
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) central database – where it stores environmental data received from companies, states, and tribes – isn’t properly secured, leaving it vulnerable to cyber threat actors, a new report from the agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) finds. […]
MeriTalk Research: Outdated Fed HR Systems Costing Billions
Federal government human resources (HR) leaders are sending a clear message: modernizing workforce management is no longer optional. According to new research from MeriTalk and Workday, inefficiencies tied to outdated government HR systems are significantly hindering Federal mission success and draining nearly $1 billion in productivity annually. […]
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.