Biometric technology has seen remarkable advancements in recent years, especially in areas like facial recognition. Arun Vemury, senior advisor for biometric and identity technologies at the Department of Homeland Security, shared how error rates in facial recognition have dropped tenfold over the past decade thanks to machine learning. He also highlighted the growing use of digital credentials such as mobile driver's licenses and emphasized the importance of rigorous testing to ensure these tec...
Sep 13, 2024•12 min
In August, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a new draft of its Digital Identity Guidelines for the identity-proofing process. This covers technologies like digital wallets, passkeys and physical identification documents like REAL ID-compliant passports and drivers licenses. The draft outlines ways to boost privacy, accessibility and security during the identity-proofing process for those accessing government services and benefits. Ryan Galluzzo is the digital id...
Sep 12, 2024•18 min
General Service Administration Executive Director of Cloud Strategy Eric Mill briefed updates for the newly focused FedRAMP program and associated advisories for cloud service providers. FedRAMP’s Agile Delivery Pilot will help prepare the program for continuous assessments, a key part of FedRAMP 2.0’s evolution. He also previews FedRAMP’s Emerging Technology Prioritization Framework that will soon enable agencies to use generative AI. Mill discusses the agency’s new automation hub, automation.g...
Sep 10, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 13
The White House has made government cybersecurity hiring a priority, releasing a strategy in 2023 to address gaps. Agencies and their partners have stressed the need to build foundational cyber skills in Americans long-term. ISC2 is a professional association for cybersecurity pros, with more than 650,000 members. ISC2 Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Global Markets and Member Engagement Tara Wisniewski spoke about skills-based hiring in cybersecurity, how the regulatory process affects the...
Sep 09, 2024•11 min
The future of cybersecurity is changing as threats evolve. NIST’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence works with partners in the public and private sectors to address securing IT systems and critical infrastructure. Cherilyn Pascoe, director of NCCoE, at Billington Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C., discussed the center’s collaboration with industry and government agencies, NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and migrating to post-quantum cryptography standards to protect against quantum computer t...
Sep 06, 2024•16 min
The Defense Information Systems Agency is harnessing artificial intelligence to secure multi-cloud environments. Effective monitoring capabilities for the cloud are critical to avoid bad actors from breaching vulnerabilities and to further secure the edge. DISA CTO and Emerging Technology Director Steve Wallace at Billington Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C., discussed how emerging technology is helping the Defense Department manage its multi-cloud environment, the value of AI amid legacy system ...
Sep 05, 2024•13 min
National Science Foundation CDO and Chief AI Officer Dorothy Aronson is establishing a new organization that will unify departments within the agency. While the agency is standing up some critical efforts under the White House executive order such as the National AI Research Resource pilot, Aronson highlights some of her initial priorities for the role that include merging the CAIO, CDO and CISO under the Office of the CIO. Aronson also discusses the importance of preparing data for advanced ana...
Sep 04, 2024•20 min
A special initiative and data registry at the National Cancer Institute is helping researchers understand and treat rare childhood cancers. Dr. Mary Frances Wedekind, a pediatric oncologist and assistant research physician with the Pediatric Oncology Branch at NCI, explains how the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative follows children, teens and young adults for many years to collect key information about their cancer diagnosis, imaging and treatments. She added that the initiative along with the Ra...
Aug 27, 2024•20 min
Government’s recent efforts to coordinate cybersecurity regulations have evolved as the threats have. A recent Government Accountability Office report examines the work that remains to support a longer-term strategy for juggling these policies across agencies. Dave Hinchman, director in GAO’s IT and cybersecurity team, oversees the IT and cybersecurity workforce, cloud computing and IT modernization efforts. He discusses the recent report on cybersecurity, current cyber regulatory policies and h...
Aug 20, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Federal agencies are undergoing largescale transformation to meet White House directives on artificial intelligence development. This includes establishing chief AI officers to build implementation plans and programs. The AI GovCast monthly miniseries connects with these leaders across government to discuss how they are shaping their roles and where they see the promise for AI in their agencies. In this episode, catch up on what is happening with AI and CAIOs in the federal government....
Aug 13, 2024•11 min
As the nation’s largest integrated health care provider, the Veterans Health Administration prioritizes how technology can address challenges in how it is delivering patient care and securing its infrastructure. Indra Sandal, chief of innovation at VHA in Tampa, Florida, breaks down how more than 300 participants collaborated and addressed challenges in a three-day hackathon. She highlights the takeaways from that hackathon and what it means for veterans. David Rhew, global chief medical officer...
Aug 06, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 8
A recent National Cancer Institute study shows that a new targeted therapy can help prolong the time cancer patients are in remission. Called the ViPOR regimen, the non-chemotherapy treatment shrinks tumors of those who suffer from B-cell lymphoma. Dr. Christopher Melani, associate research physician with the Lymphoid Malignancies Branch in the Center for Cancer Research at NCI, highlights the importance of combining five therapies and administering them during a fixed cycle to maximize drug syn...
Jul 30, 2024•18 min
The Department of Veterans Affairs has many public-facing apps that rely on application programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party developers creating software and services to veterans. Managing this ecosystem is VA’s Lighthouse, where Deputy Director Andrew Fichter is constantly looking at innovating how to share and manage the data that fuels these apps. Fichter discusses how Lighthouse is serving veterans and why it is necessary for modernization of veterans services. Plus, he shares the f...
Jul 23, 2024•30 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Climate change has a major impact on public health, especially for vulnerable communities. Rising temperatures, severe storms and other severe events can negatively affect health outcomes. Agencies are increasingly using data and technology for programs and tools to boost health equity. Dr. John Balbus, director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services, speaks about the ways that technology can be used to build resilience against climate-re...
Jul 16, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Protecting sensitive information is critical to cybersecurity, but agencies need to learn to operate with fewer secrets in the aftermath of cybersecurity incidents. Sharing information about attacks within the community can help protect against future ones, according to Suzanne Spaulding, who formerly led the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security. Spaulding discussed how a focus on transparency will be advantageous for national defense. She explained...
Jul 09, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, telehealth and telemedicine have dramatically improved and widened the ability for the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver health care to veterans. These technologies are revolutionary, but they also come with a higher risk of being compromised. VA Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy Amber Pearson discusses the growing attack surface and how the agency is taking bolder steps to ensure patient data remains sec...
Jul 03, 2024•20 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Zero Trust is becoming a critical pillar of the department of Defense’s cybersecurity strategy. The strategy, embodied by the motto of “never trust, always verify,” demands a new outlook on cybersecurity. Randy Resnick discusses why Zero Trust is so important, how his office is working to reshape the way DOD employees view zero trust, and how clear standards can help the DOD and other agencies adopt zero trust in their operations.
Jul 03, 2024•25 min
From the battlefield to headquarters, the potential of 5G networks opens the door for new partnerships, strategies and emerging technologies. At TechNet Cyber, Defense Department 5G Cross Functional Team Director Juan Ramirez discusses how 5G unites the department under multiple interoperability efforts, prepares the warfighter for the fight of the future and enhances the cybersecurity of the DOD apparatus.
Jul 02, 2024•19 min
The military services are prioritizing developing technology in warfighting scenarios and fielding it quickly. At the Department of the Navy, officials are thinking about how to bring forward a set capabilities that can be interoperable throughout different scenarios while maintaining security. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Navy CIO Jane Rathbun discussed interoperability in the defense industry and platform standardization and cybersecurity.
Jul 01, 2024•13 min
The Defense Department’s Fulcrum: DoD Information Technology (IT) Advancement Strategy unites many of DOD’s cybersecurity strategies under one umbrella. It also provides a roadmap through 2029 for the DOD CIO’s essential support of the National Defense Strategy. Robert Franzen, Deputy Customer Experience Officer at the DOD CIO’s office, breaks down the department’s recently unveiled Fulcrum and how it will support warfighters and the entirety of the Defense Department.
Jul 01, 2024•8 min
In an interview at the AWS Summit, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Chief Scientist for AI Court Corley and Director of the Center for Cloud Computing Scott Godwin discussed their efforts to enhance research through AI and cloud computing. They emphasized providing foundational compute capabilities and access to cloud services for Energy Department researchers addressing critical issues like sustainable energy and national security. They also highlighted the rapid evolution of AI too...
Jul 01, 2024•8 min
At AWS Summit in Washington DC, Nutanix Senior Director of US Federal Greg O’Connell discussed how agencies can ensure seamless data migration and app mobility, leverage generative AI and incorporate security. He equated today’s rapid growth in modern applications to the impact of the browser, as the “killer app” of the internet era of the 1990s. With projections of 750 million new apps by 2026, he said agencies face challenges to incorporate more cloud and edge computing that would handle incre...
Jun 28, 2024•17 min
The Air Force Sustainment Center is modernizing supply chain and logistics operations with cloud. Having an efficiently running supply chain and manufacturing operations for supplies and weapons systems is critical to national security. Leaders from the center, John York and Josh Thompson, highlight at AWS Summit some of their priorities around cloud and hybrid cloud. They also detail how developments in the Technology Hosting Environment for NextGen Automation (ATHENA) program is driving cost s...
Jun 28, 2024•7 min
Challenges can be opportunities when it comes to software modernization at the Defense Department. The agency is meeting these opportunities with the release of its new Fulcrum strategy and ongoing zero trust efforts, according to DOD Director of Cloud & Software Modernization George Lamb. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Lamb discussed progress made on the Pentagon’s 2022 software modernization strategy, how the new Fulcrum strategy ties into software modernization goals and the necessity of zero tr...
Jun 27, 2024•15 min
The Food and Drug Administration recently released a new acquisition strategy that aims to transform how the agency buys technology to impact multiple mission areas. In an interview with FDA Office of Enterprise Portfolio Management Director Joseph Montgomery at AWS Summit, he highlights the importance of this strategy to create a “one FDA” ecosystem that prioritizes advanced technology and keeping pace with IT innovation. Montgomery also highlights how he’s thinking about artificial intelligenc...
Jun 27, 2024•7 min
Automation is unlocking new levels of security for federal agencies facing a wide range of new threats and challenges. Red Hat Chief Architect for Law Enforcement & Justice Mike Hardee joined us to outline how federal IT leaders can harness these new automation solutions to provide higher levels of security. Hardee explained how automation can help federal agencies utilize automation to overcome everything from HR challenges to new law enforcement threats. He also said automation and observa...
Jun 27, 2024•19 min
In an interview at the AWS Summit, Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leith States discussed the significant impact of AI on health care. He also highlighted the critical priorities of ensuring continuity through the upcoming election cycle and managing resources effectively amid unpredictable funding scenarios. Plus, he shared his vision for health equity by design. States stressed the importance of ethical data practices, including patient empowerment, transparen...
Jun 27, 2024•10 min
The U.S. Army is prioritizing digital transformation and new software development policies when it historically took the service months, even years, to deploy new technology. At AWS Summit, Army Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Young Bang highlights the Army’s efforts to modernize its acquisition and technology processes to field new tech more quickly. He also discusses the cybersecurity implications of new technology for a priority he said is to red...
Jun 27, 2024•13 min
Officials at Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) need to protect the DOD’s thousands of employees when they use the network. To secure the system, JFHQ-DODIN uses a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity, including adaptive intelligence, identity management and partnerships. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, JFHQ-DODIN Director of Operations Col. Michael Reeder discussed data security, the importance of collaboration within the cybersecurity community and DOD...
Jun 27, 2024•10 min
Every day, thousands of attacks are directed at U.S. military, government and defense industrial base systems. Protecting those systems is increasingly a key part of the national defense mission and keeping pace with adversaries is critical. Gen. Timothy Haugh leads Cyber Command and the National Security Agency in a dual-hat role. According to him, the ability to adapt and build resiliency is key to building cybersecurity. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Haugh broke down how threats are evolving, his p...
Jun 27, 2024•8 min
