Category Archives: Event News

Event News on GovEvents Blog includes editorials and media directly pertaining to Government & Military Event News.

The Next Generation of Government

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While the feared "silver tsunami" of retirements never really transpired, the government workforce is worryingly aging. More than 70% of the federal workforce is age 40 or older. In the general workforce, only 54% are 40 or older. This skewed population is not only worrisome in terms of retirements interrupting continuity, but also introduces a huge risk in terms of diversity. Younger workers may lack experience, but they bring with them a perspective that is critical in designing services and solutions that meet the needs of citizens under 40. Younger workers may also have more up-to-date training in leading-edge technologies currently being deployed across government.

The public service call of government is a huge plus for younger workers who want a job where they can make a difference and find meaning. However, the outdated, lengthy hiring process and pay scales keep many from applying. These and other recognized barriers are being addressed across government to inject youth into the federal service workforce. Continue reading →

As Students Go Back to School Threat Actors Go Back to Work

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School systems are at high risk for cyber attacks because threat actors know they are traditionally underfunded and understaffed, meaning many vulnerabilities may remain open.

Once in, hackers have access to incredibly valuable and personal information on children and their families, leading to ransom requests. In fact, the education sector is now the number one sector for ransomware attacks, with a 44% increase in the past year.

The eye-opening statistics don't stop there.

  • The education sector sees an average of 2,297 attacks weekly.
  • By the end of 2021, nearly one in three U.S. districts had experienced a breach.
  • The monetary losses to school districts following a cyber incident range from $50,000 to $1 million.
  • Six months into 2023, at least 120 schools faced a ransomware attack, compared to 188 in all of 2022.

Continue reading →

Ensuring Equity in AI

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Improving equity for citizens is a key goal of the Biden Administration. At the same time, agencies across government are adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to better use data for a variety of tasks and decision making. Seeing the increasing role of AI in day-to-day operations, the government is looking for ways to ensure that the technology is used fairly and safely without impinging on the innovation being felt by AI adoption in government.

AI as an Administration Focus

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a blueprint for a "Bill of Rights" to provide some guidelines for the development and use of AI in government. It details the roles various agencies need to play to ensure that AI tools align with privacy rights and civil liberties. Continue reading →

Staying Ahead of the Bad Guys: Investing in Cybersecurity

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Agencies are challenged to move more and more services online, become more transparent, and leverage new streams of data from the Internet of Things (IoT) for better decision making, all while securing the systems and the data they hold. If that is not challenging enough, cyber threats against all of these efforts are continually evolving. A series of strategies and ongoing guidance are helping agencies prioritize work and budget requests to make the most impactful investments in their cybersecurity infrastructure.

The National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) provides broad guidance to help position the United States to build a digital ecosystem that is more easily and inherently defensible, resilient, and aligned with its values. Efforts to do so are organized around five pillars:

1) Defend Critical Infrastructure

2) Disrupt and Dismantle Threat Actors

3) Shape Market Forces to Drive Security and Resilience

4) Invest in a Resilient Future

5) Forge International Partnerships to Pursue Shared Goals Continue reading →

Connecting to Data and People for Improved Citizen Service

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The Executive Order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government (CX EO) put a governmentwide priority on accelerating modernization efforts that impact how the government serves its citizens. A key focus of the CX EO was reducing the "time tax" by simplifying processes for applying for federal aid - particularly in areas where there was already high stress like disaster assistance, financial shock, or adding children to a family. The programs that have emerged as early solutions have focused on two key areas - understanding the journey and experience of the customer and enabling better data sharing across organizations.

Meeting Customers Where They Are

Citizens expect mobile access with personalized service when interacting with nearly any commercial entity. That expectation extends to the government and agencies working to deliver service via apps and streamlined digital portals. Continue reading →