IT modernization remains a critical component for federal agencies looking to improve operational efficiencies, digitize customer experiences and bolster service delivery and government operations. Beyond the technology changes, these efforts are normally complex and fraught with policy, legal, budgetary and workforce challenges, and can take years to fully accomplish. How can agencies successfully navigate the complex maze of technology, proc...

Registration for this event is now closed Office of Inspector General (OIG) organizations are increasingly seeking modern, secure, cloud-based solutions to provide independent oversight and monitoring of agency audit cycles and event-driven inspections and investigations. Using a pre-built solution to accelerate this cloud journey helps deliver cost-effective custom applications with the speed and stability of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) p...

Every four years, the Presidential transition from one administration to another presents the Federal Government with one of its most daunting challenges. The planning for this enormous undertaking starts months before the actual election and swearing-in of the President. Behind the scenes, this change has a profound impact on how the Departments function and how they address immediate needs and plan for the future. It is not just a change in...

The gap is widening. Your Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) challenges aren't getting any easier—onboarding still takes too long; you have a backlog of assessment work; and you're not covering as much of your vendor portfolio as you know you should. There are more vendors every day and there is more work to do, yet your TPRM resources have stayed relatively flat. It's impossible to keep up. It doesn't have to be that way. Forward-thinki...

The whirlwind of artificial intelligence tools in 2023 proved the government is eager to embrace the technology as soon as possible. An overwhelming 99% of agency leaders agree investing in safe and effective AI is essential to fulfilling their mission, according to a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of ICF. Despite being rich in data, many agencies are lagging in the data modernization needed to support AI – and c...

Hybrid cloud infrastructure is complex and time-consuming to secure, manage and maintain. Modern organizations must contend with multiple cloud providers and a myriad cloud, security, and observability tools, which add layers of complexity and make it challenging to detect security threats and performance anomalies. The DoD must not only face these challenges, but also must account for disrupted, disconnected, intermittent and low-bandwidth (D...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is on a multi-year IT modernization journey – harnessing the power of new and emerging technologies to achieve mission-driven innovations, enhanced security, and delivery of improved access and care for millions of beneficiaries. CMS has done extensive work to date in cloud enabling applications and creating user friendly tools and enhancing security. The agency is now embarking on its...

The cat-and-mouse game between threat actors and cybersecurity professionals continued unabated in 2023, with new threats designed to avoid detection. Many of these threats are new takes on old ones, such as “leveling up” invoice fraud. And ransomware attacks are evolving; rather than encrypting victims’ data, they are straightforwardly stealing the information and extorting payment by threatening to post the info online or t...

Digital services have the power to transform how people interact with government agencies. For example, instead of waiting in an hour-long line to update your driver’s license you could renew online. However, for digital services to be truly revolutionary they must be accessible to everyone. Accessibility can take many forms; it can mean providing tools to aid those with disabilities, using inclusive language to not alienate populations...

Kick off 2024 with AFFIRM and our interactive, virtual panel of accomplished IT executives from a variety of agencies and backgrounds. It is important for all of us in the government IT industry to nurture emerging and proven talent. Our panel of outstanding women leaders will share their insights about their own mentors, what it takes to rise through the ranks of an agency, and how they define professional and personal success. Join us to hea...