DHS’s Commitment to Innovation

Under its umbrella mission of "securing the nation from the many threats we face," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines several mission areas critical to meeting this goal. These include countering terrorism and preventing threats, securing and managing borders, administering immigration, securing cyberspace, building resilience, and responding to incidents, as well as combating crimes of exploitation. To support these areas, the DHS Innovation, Research & Development Strategic Plan defines eight scientific areas as focal points for research:

  • Advanced sensing
  • AI and autonomous systems
  • Biotechnology
  • Climate change
  • Communications and networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data integration, analytics, modeling, and simulation
  • Digital identity and trust

In a previous post, we looked at DHS's work with artificial intelligence (AI), digital identity, and climate change. In this post, we'll take a look at the activity happening in more of these eight areas. Continue reading

The State of Cybersecurity in the States

State and local agencies are some of the most attractive and vulnerable targets for cyber criminals. In 2023, malware attacks increased by 148%, and ransomware incidents increased by 51%. These agencies are targeted because they hold valuable personal data on citizens and control critical services--yet their security efforts have historically been underfunded and under-resourced. However, the tide may be changing.

A report on the ransomware experiences of state and local government in 2024 showed a dramatic decrease in the number of those organizations that were impacted this year. The report found ransomware attacks impacting 34% of state and local governments, marking a sharp decrease from the 69% affected in 2023. Let's take a look at some of the trends and activities that are fueling the improvement in state and local cybersecurity. Continue reading

Securing the Machines that Drive our Democracy

The devices used in voting are relatively low-tech. In order to avoid cyber threats, even those that use a touch screen to capture votes are intentionally not connected to the internet. However, even this unconnected approach has security risks that need to be addressed so that these devices and the data they hold aren't tampered with. The states and localities that administer elections are continually focused on the full spectrum of security risks, putting processes and systems in place in advance of election day to ensure that voting is safe and secure.

Diversity is a Strength

The diversity of voting machines being used across the country reduces threat impacts. If there is an issue with a piece of software, it won't impact the entire national voting system, just particular machines. While software vulnerabilities are still huge problems, standardizing on one type of machine nationwide would mean one software bug could wipe out all electoral results. Continue reading

AI’s Role in Higher Ed

Higher education is at an interesting inflection point. While there has been much talk about the increasing cost for students, educational institutions are not necessarily reaping the benefits of these higher prices. Colleges and universities are seeing enrollment numbers decrease due to affordability concerns and a general decline in population. Additionally, the rise of the gig economy and online degree options, as well as the willingness of employers to hire and train people without college degrees for in-demand jobs in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI), are all impacting the perceived necessity of advanced education.

Show Me the Data

While AI careers may no longer require a four-year degree, AI technology is proving to be invaluable in supporting the growth and success of higher education institutions. With all of the outside pressures, colleges and universities need to take a serious look at all the data they hold to determine the cost and ROI of the programs they offer, from degree options to sports teams to housing options. Information about student demographics, student performance, program revenues, and operational costs are all held in siloed systems. AI can help collate all of these disparate data sets, making connections that would take teams of humans months or years to discover. Continue reading

GovEvents Presents the Government AI Event Top 10

AI conference

Improvements in citizen experience, employee experience, government business efficiency, and cybersecurity have been key goals of the Biden administration. At the same time, as agencies have worked to meet mandates and goals for these focus areas, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a mainstream technology to automate manual tasks and provide new insights to decision-makers. Applying AI as a way to meet administration goals has been a key discussion point in meeting rooms, the media, and government-industry events.

Earlier this year, GovEvents highlighted a number of events uniquely positioned to provide the right access to insights from technologists, implementers, and executives on the integration of AI into government systems and processes. The opportunities for AI-related education remain strong, with nearly 680 AI events listed on GovEvents.com this year. Continue reading