As technology evolves, so do the threats to its security. The remote work shift caused by the continuing pandemic has pressed security teams to reassess how they verify and allow access. Zero Trust is a strategy, not a product, which reimagines the way access is granted to users, to data and to applications. Devices, which used to be central to identity, now include personal computers and home internet connections, which are not government iss...

The federal government has been working to update its policies, architectures and frameworks around digital identity for some time. OMB revised its Identity Credential and Access Management guide in May of 2019 and that National Institute for Standards and Technology has been working on an updated version of its guidance on security and privacy controls for information systems. Then, the pandemic hit, and all programs went into overdrive as ag...

IT modernization has been a federal priority for years, but many agencies still struggle to turn that goal into a practical plan of action. Securing multi-year funding is one challenge, but the fundamental obstacle is often the sheer complexity of transforming government-scale systems. Smart, successful modernization demands a holistic approach that addresses several essential pillars: security, network infrastructure, multi-cloud architecture...

The Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency Act of 2019 (GREAT Act) will require higher education actions to meet the federal government’s intent to modernize grant reporting. This will help researchers and government officials understand the topics being submitted, allow researchers to see if others are submitting the same requests, and will reward successful performances of grant recipients. Implementing data management...

The global information technology supply chain has been hit with a growing and unprecedented number of attacks as adversaries attempt to compromise systems with various forms of malware in an attempt to steal or compromise or hold for ransom sensitive information. Federal executives realized how complex the question of supply chain security was in 2017 when officials tried to implement the Department of Homeland Security’s order to remov...

Eight years in, the Continuous Diagnostic and Mitigation program has matured and broadened its offerings significantly. The focus now is on deploying a threat intelligence framework for governmentwide use, integrating the AWARE risk-scoring algorithm and rolling out of security orchestration automation and response (SOAR) to automate vulnerability detection and defensive cyber operations. More extensive and sophisticated use of data in dashboa...

The Virginia Department of General Services Division of Purchases and Supply is hosting the 2020 Public Procurement Summit on November 16-18. This summit will take the place of the 2020 Public Procurement Forum and will be held virtually. We anticipate the Forum returning in November of 2021. The Public Procurement Summit will include 10 consecutive live and recorded classes over three days. Participants will have the opportunity to receive 10...

Federal agencies are making meaningful progress migrating to the cloud. But the journey looks different for everyone. The administration’s Cloud Smart policy guides agencies to be thoughtful about the practical realities of moving to the cloud and consider if an on-premise or hybrid solution makes more sense based on their unique needs. During this SNG Live virtual session, federal IT officials will discuss their progress moving to the c...

Roll up your sleeves and connect with top cybersecurity experts for this virtual hands-on collaboration project. Walk away with a framework that you can implement immediately and learn how to crowdsource solutions for your next crisis. Join us on October 14-15, 2020, to discuss your FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) in this new normal. This is more than your typical webinar - #CyberExperience #NoFUD Overview: Speed, agility, and a new underst...

To protect the health and safety of attendees, this event has been moved to online-only due to COVID-19 concerns. New Date: 10/6-10/7/2020 The most expansive explosion of innovative activity in federal acquisition in a quarter of a century is continuing to gain power as it spreads across the government, bottom to top, and side to side. Last year’s theme was “Acquisition Innovation in Action.” This year we are building on that...