With aging IT infrastructure, outdated job classification system and a greying government workforce, agency executive and human capital officers face a trifecta of challenges in the years ahead. Soaring demand for cybersecurity experts and data scientists are just two examples of the newer professional specialists that the government is struggling to hire. With the rise of vaccinated workers, questions have arisen about the reopening of federa...

Digital transformation is a holistic re-imagining of how companies, governments and organizations use technology, people and processes to deliver services or perform their mission. Through digital transformation, federal agencies look to deliver the same kinds of business or customer-focused digital experiences that are common in the commercial arena. The federal sector has been pursuing digital transformation for years through various avenues...

For federal, state and local government cybersecurity executives, the mission to detect and eliminate hackers on their expanding digital networks has always been a fluid exercise. In the last year, their work has become even more challenging. As the pandemic pushed agencies to remote work, they leaned even more on cloud computing, mobile and remote access capabilities, and the attack surface has become more diffuse and vulnerable. Sly, determi...

As DOD continues the roll-out of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, both government acquisition professionals and the contracting community are scrambling to understand and implement the certification requirements. Join us to learn the latest on what is required and what may be ahead for acquisition and contracting executives concerning cyber certifications and audits as government and industry experts share their insights...

As the global pandemic continues and countries wait for a vaccine, estimates about when federal employees will return to their offices in force range from Summer 2021 to Never. Many organizations have discovered the advantages of telework and now plan on expanding its use, even when there is not a snowstorm or health crisis. Although some jobs require on-site personnel, the Office of Personnel Management said that 42% of federal employees are...

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...

DOD put into effect at the end of Nov. 2020 a new DFARS rule that requires Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for all DOD contractors. Although anticipated for some time, questions remain about the certification process and the scope. The rule requires that contractors register on the Supplier Performance Risk System, produce and maintain a System Security Plan and a Plan of Actions and Milestones. In addition, each company is r...

Most government agencies have made the journey to cloud since the Cloud First and Cloud Smart strategies came from OMB starting in 2010. Many organizations have more than one cloud. The challenge becomes blending the different types of cloud and service models to provide access to needed data, while at the same time protecting a much enlarged attack surface created by the large number of workers who are accessing the data remotely. If there is...

The federal government is fast approaching the midway point in its push for the fully electronic recordkeeping mandated by M-19-21. And while most agencies have made significant progress in identifying the myriad systems business processes that must change, translating those assessments into action remains a daunting challenge. This year's COVID-19 crisis, continued churn at the executive level and the uncertainty surrounding FY 2021 funding h...

If there was ever a question about the role of information technology in healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic has answered it emphatically. Quickly analyzing large data sets and mapping the locations of cases around the world requires scale and power. Federal hospital systems (VA, Indian Health and Military Health System) are large users of the technology and the Department of Health and Human Services and its research centers fund research on a...