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.
PCAST Recommends $500M Fund for Semiconductor Startups
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is recommending the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) create a $500 million investment fund for semiconductor startups, according to its September report.
VA Awards $110M Service Desk IT Deal to GDIT
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a $110 million Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) task order to General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT).
House Tees Up Votes on SBIR, Workforce Safety
House leadership has teed up votes for this week on legislation to extend the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, and a bill shepherded by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., to provide for Federal workforce safety measures during health-related emergencies. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, […]
GSA Announces Acquisition Advisory Committee Members
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the 28 inaugural members of the GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee (GAP FAC), which will advise GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan on emerging acquisition issues, challenges, and opportunities.
CISA, NSA Release Guidance for Securing ICS, OT
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) released a new cybersecurity advisory on September 22 to help owners and operators of critical infrastructure better protect operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) assets from the increasing probability of cyberattacks.
New White House Fellow Appointed to OSTP
Lizzy Ragan has been appointed to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) by the President’s Commission of White House Fellows for the 2022-2023 class, according to a press release published on Sept. 14.
GAO Urges Stronger Privacy Leadership at Large Federal Agencies
Large Federal government agencies across the board could be doing more to protect the personal and private information of individuals that they collect, and would benefit from beefing up the roles of their senior privacy officials, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The report examines the government’s 24 CFO Act agencies, and […]
White House Makes Six Appointments to Lead CHIPS Act Rollout
The Biden-Harris administration last week appointed six policy leaders to the newly established CHIPS for America offices – which are housed within the White House and the Department of Commerce (DoC) – to lead the way in implementing the CHIPS and Science Act.
CBP Awards $119M EIS Deal to AT&T for Network Modernization
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) component has awarded an 11-year, $119 million task order to AT&T to help the agency modernize its networks and ensure reliable, high-speed wireline and wireless connectivity.
Watchdog Finds States, Labor Dept. Awarded $45B in Unemployment Fraud
The Department of Labor’s (DoL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) determined that the agency – along with state workforce agencies – has paid more than $45 billion in unemployment insurance (UI) pandemic benefits to fraudsters, according to an alert memorandum published on Sept. 21.
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.