The Accenture Federal Technology Vision addresses the five technology trends poised to have the most significant impact on how government operates over the next three years. Today, we look at Trend 1: Stack...

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, technology was establishing itself as a driving force in government, with cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, and other advances changing the way agencies meet the...

Rather than focus on a single topic or recent news event in this column, let’s talk about a number of important Federal government management matters. Think of it as the good government version of Chris Berman's...

As we have seen with recent security breaches – including the SolarWinds attack – it can be challenging for Federal security leaders to effectively detect cyber threats across their networks. In the last few decades,...

The bipartisan infrastructure agreement announced with much fanfare by the White House and a handful of Democratic and Republican senators on June 24 remains a feel-good topic in the nation’s Capitol – after all, who...

Like many before him, President Biden seems to recognize that a crisis presents both danger and opportunity. Facing a barrage of high-profile cyberattacks, the President’s recent Cybersecurity Executive Order also...

Many of us are going back to work in person – and this includes the Federal government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and General Services Administration (GSA)...

For decades, Federal chief information security officers (CISOs) focused on protecting a traditional perimeter and the users within. Today, however, they recognize that there are a seemingly endless number of...

The old adage “consistency is key” rings especially true for Federal cybersecurity operations centers (CSOCs) today. Agencies who pay close attention to their operations center but lack visibility and control of...

Earlier this month, in a May 6 column, I offered up a President’s Management Agenda framework – PMA 46 – for the Biden-Harris Administration as we awaited the full FY 2022 budget proposal, which was publicly...

It is hard to believe that we are coming up on a year of living with COVID-19. In February 2020, countries around the world were beginning to institute travel restrictions, and organizations were shifting large...

The Biden administration – less than four months after taking office – has thus far developed a reputation for going “big” with its policy and spending aims.

A billion of anything isn’t quite what it used to be, but it’s still a lot. And when that billion is dollars for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) – a great vehicle that has been underutilized because of low...

President Biden on April 9 released a massive $1.52 trillion fiscal year 2022 spending plan that reflects his vision of an expanded – and expansive – Federal government that boosts spending for domestic programs and...

Digital identities are becoming increasingly important elements of today’s connected infrastructure across the public sector. Boosted by the growth in remote working over the past year, protecting their integrity is...

Disinformation is undoubtedly on more people’s radars – Federal IT pros included – heading into 2021 and beyond. But just because we know more about it doesn’t mean we are better prepared to face the challenge that...

The United States was once a leader in the collection and utilization of public health data. As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, the United States must resume its leadership in this domain.

With many states admitting to substantial fraudulent payments due to poor management and problematic unemployment insurance (UI) application systems, what are they doing about fraud in other state programs that...

While the latest Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard shows all agencies have passing total scores, not one agency’s Cyber score changed from the FITARA 10.0 scorecard issued...

We're excited to welcome Joe Biden, the 46th President, to office.

With the Solarwinds breach and CDM budget shortfall, it's never been more important to communicate the importance of cyber security to the Hill and appropriators. Time to change the menu to increase the appetite for...

The security operations center (SOC) has become the critical hub of Federal agencies’ cyber readiness. SOC analysts keep agencies safely up and running – determining the size and impact of incidents, utilizing threat...

Is it a noun or a verb? What the heck is a MeriTalk and why were you so dumb to call your publication that? Why not put Fed or Gov in the name – like every title? Good questions. So, here goes. We gave our...

As remote work shifts to hybrid work for the long term, Federal agencies need continued (and even stronger) cloud security.

Like many of you, I have read the news every day for the last four years. Every day was like a visit to the proctologist – anger, fear, frustration. And, yes, the A word – anxiety.

After a decade-long initiative to expand telework, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the federal government’s workforce to cloud-based telework, practically overnight. While improving workforce flexibility seems like...

Following the release of the FITARA Scorecard 10.0 in August, discussion about sunsetting the MEGABYTE category of the scorecard has picked up. But, is that really a good idea?

As the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic became apparent early this year, the first matter of business for the Federal government was simply getting employees online and ensuring they could carry on with their...

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the way agencies function, and forced many to redefine what it means to be connected and modernize for mission success.

I’m a foreigner who’s proud of my heritage – and I’m an American patriot ready to stand up for this great country’s principles.

When agencies began full-scale telework earlier this year, many were not anticipating it would evolve into a long-term workplace strategy. However, in the wake of COVID-19, recent calculations estimate $11 billion in...