Eight years ago, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a public process to select quantum-resistant public-key cryptographic algorithms for standardization. NIST issued the public call for submissions to the PQC Standardization Process in December 2016 and, after three rounds of evaluation and analysis, selected four algorithms for standardization: CRYSTALS-KYBER, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, and SPHINCS+. In this...

An Overview of Life Insurance for Federal Employees Group Life, including the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance Plan (FEGLI), and individual like policies from private companies, with information about term life insurance versus permanent or whole life insurance. Understanding the FEGLI Plan In depth education about FEGLI Basic, and Options A, B, and C- including considerations all feds should make about FEGLI when approaching retirement....

An Overview of the 4 Types of Social Security Benefits Retirement, disability, survivor, Medicare Eligiblity requirements for each type, How the amounts are calculated How they apply to the financial plans of federal employees, both FERS and CSRS employees Understanding the Common Pitfalls The Windfall Elimination Program for CSRS Earnings Test Special Retirement Supplement for FERS Government Pension Offsets (GPO) How the benefits are taxed I...

Administering elections falls on the shoulders of state and territorial governments. It is not surprising, then, that there are so many different approaches, technologies, and processes in place to handle election infrastructure. The problems that befall election infrastructure are many, varied, and often well publicized. In Maricopa County, Ariz., ballots were too lightly printed to be read by scanners during the 2022 midterms. Multnomah Coun...

In the realm of government cybersecurity, the Zero Trust framework stands as a beacon of defense against evolving threats. Central to its efficacy are the principles of identity and access management, which redefine traditional security paradigms. Zero Trust advocates for perpetual verification of users, devices, and resources, emphasizing a “never trust, always verify” mantra. Identity verification, facilitated by multifactor auth...

The state of New York is emphasizing improving its IT resilience. The state’s 2022-23 strategic plan focuses on moving off legacy systems, implementing an enterprise architecture, and improving service delivery to its residents, to name a few. In addition, the state has its first cybersecurity strategy, and created a Joint Security Operations Center. As the largest city in the United States, New York City has its own technology roadmap,...

Join us on May 14, from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern for Preventing Fatalities in Confined Spaces at Dams. Most dams have facilities that include permit-required confined spaces. These spaces can include towers, risers, galleries, manholes, vaults, conduits, instrument enclosures, tunnels, adits, drainage systems, etc., that are often unmarked and possess several unique hazards to dam inspectors, operators, and trespassers that are not intuitive...

An Overview of How Federal Benefits are Taxed FERS Annuity CSRS Annuity TSP Withdrawals from both Traditional and Roth TSP accounts Survivor Benefits Ed reviews how the IRS treats each of these items for Federal Employees. Other Taxation Topics to Consider The taxation of Social Security Benefits, how much the state you live in impacts your net amount of income, and which states have the highest and lowest property tax rates. The 2017 Tax Law...

The internet is an increasingly dangerous place. The FBI warns of Chinese threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, while the National Security Agency releases guidance for strengthening AI system security. Meanwhile, agencies still wrestle with phishing, ransomware and myriad other threats that occur every day. At the same time, government organizations are expected to implement zero trust architectures, improve identity and access management,...

In today's digital landscape, accessibility isn't just a legal requirement, it's a strategic imperative for organizations seeking to drive engagement and foster inclusivity. Join us to uncover strategies for navigating the complexities of digital accessibility and positioning your organization as a leader in creating inclusive digital spaces. We’ll delve into the success of the State of Rhode Island, a trailblazer in championing digital...