As agencies increasingly migrate their workloads to the cloud, it is crucial to understand the implications and benefits of writing natively to the cloud, which enables organizations to optimize their data protection strategies, streamline operations, and enhance overall security. “Writing natively” is about building, deploying and managing software apps in the cloud computing environment. Taking this approach makes it possible to...

The number of cyber-attacks and the sophistication with which they are being executed is on the rise. Compromise to personal credentials has nearly doubled, and also accounts for well over half of reported incidents. Today’s IT leaders must mitigate these threats and ensure that both the mindset and technology toolset they implement keep their organizations – and their most critical assets – secure. That’s why many are...

Federal departments and agencies are making headway in meeting the requirements of Executive Order 14028, issued in May 2021, to strengthen their cybersecurity by implementing a zero trust architecture. To date, many agencies have made progress in areas like identity management and secure access. But the journey toward achieving a zero trust environment is different for every department. The challenges that civilian agencies must overcome are...

It has become clear over the past several years that maintaining U.S. election integrity is not just a single agency’s responsibility. Conducting fair and accurate elections is the responsibility of each state and territory. Meanwhile, nation-states, partisans, and scammers can interfere with voter information, try to cast doubt on election outcomes, and spread disinformation across social media, to name just a few. The Office of the Dir...

A Practical Approach to A-123 Compliance Programs Join us for a unique, interactive workshop that "walks you through" the latest update of The Green Book which now conforms to the Internal Control Integrated Framework (COSO 2013). This training is focused on the current Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government as detailed in the Green Book. This 18 hour CPE course provides you with the tools to implement a compliance program th...

An Overview of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Contributions and how they work, including limits and getting the biggest match Ways to maximize tax savings The main differences between Roth and Traditional TSP accounts Understanding the Different Funds An overview of the five main TSP funds (G, F, C, S, & I) and the Lifecycle (or “L” Funds), plus tips for developing an effective investment strategy that matches your time horizon,...

Adopting a zero trust policy has become imperative for agencies aiming to safeguard their digital assets against increasingly sophisticated threats. It represents a true paradigm shift, away from traditional perimeter-based security models to a more dynamic, trust-never always-verify approach. One critical part of implementing zero trust is managing digital identity – ensuring that access to resources is securely managed and continuously...

Federal agencies collect vast amounts of data that often goes untapped because unlocking its full value is complex. But as agencies move to comply with the White House Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, harnessing the potential in their own data can help meet the EO’s objectives. Agencies can facilitate the use of AI by using their data to train custom large language model...

On January 9, 2024, the ATARC Insider Risk Working Group conducted its first webinar on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Insider Risk Programs. During that webinar, panelists explored the use of AI as a critical tool in support of Insider Risk programs in Government, Industry, and Academia. In the second part of this conversation, panelists will discuss Culture, AI, and Insider Risk, and how and why to use AI in Insider Risk Programs...

This Session CoversAn Overview of the 4 Types of Social Security Benefits Retirement, disability, survivor, Medicare Eligiblity requirements for each type, How the amounts are calculated How they apply to the financial plans of federal employees, both FERS and CSRS employees Understanding the Common Pitfalls The Windfall Elimination Program for CSRS Earnings Test Special Retirement Supplement for FERS Government Pension Offsets (GPO) How the...