Election security is top of mind across the United States, from concern about malign foreign interference, to DDoS attacks against election websites, to the security of voting machines and their software, to insider and third-party threats, even to “swatting” of local election officials, to name just a few. At the heart of all these threats is the intent to change the outcome of political races. Outcomes, in the end, are determined...

All the elements of the U.S. healthcare system are under siege by hackers. A recent article in Modern Healthcare reported that “[o]ver the past five years, there’s been a 256% increase in large breaches reported to [the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] involving hacking and a 264% increase in ransomware.” Federal health agencies face the same risks – and private-sector attacks ripple through the agencies, a...

The cyber-attack surface has exploded to include more than just hardware and on premises devices. This can make implementing CDM and achieving success even more difficult-- one of the most common challenges has always been finding the time and resources to do so. So how are agency cyber leaders keeping up? While the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program is now a dozen years...

Internal control is an important focus for auditors as they commonly identify weaknesses in internal controls as an underlying cause of organizations struggling to deliver effective and efficient results. Through lecture, group discussions, and case studies, this course provides auditors with a comprehensive understanding of the five components of internal control and the 17 underlying principles. The course will explain the audit planning and...

This summer, top-notch Modeling & Simulation (M&S) demonstrations from around the country will be brought to the nation’s capital at the 14th Annual 2024 Capitol Hill Modeling and Simulation Expo. The National Training and Simulation Association sponsors this annual expo in support of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus. The theme for 2024 is Resilience in Action: Using Modeling and Simulation Technologies to Build o...

The continuous evolution of technology presents us with a dynamic landscape filled with both promise and challenges. As the internet gained widespread adoption, it revolutionized various aspects of our lives, introducing innovations such as online shopping and real-time news updates, alongside issues like spam, phishing, and malware. Traditionally, government entities have been cautious in adopting new technologies, often due to regulatory con...

States’ voter registration systems and voter access have undergone a host of changes over the past five years, thanks in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many states expanded vote-by-mail options, stepped up automatic voter registration programs, or both. Cities took action, as well – Los Angeles, for instance, has overhauled its voting system infrastructure, using open source, the cloud, and cybersecurity partnerships to updat...

In January the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania unveiled its new Ten-Year Strategic Plan to foster economic growth. The plan targets five industries – agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotics/technology – all of which will rely on investments to upgrade and innovate systems and technologies currently in place. This includes a continued focus on rethinking how agencies can work at the speed of industry, from strea...

Register today for Strategic Internal Communications for Government and gain actionable insights into improving employee communications, collaboration, and engagement in your agency’s rapidly evolving digital workplace and achieve your agency’s goals. Through case studies led by internal communications professionals from the public sector (federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local), and workshops led by industry leaders...

Imagine a world where near-real time satellite data acts as an early warning system, monitoring climate change indicators before they escalate, and where resource management is optimized through precise mapping, ensuring the efficient use of land, water, and energy. For the first time in history, we possess the remarkable ability to rapidly and accurately process immense amounts of satellite imagery, enabling us to detect subtle changes, map e...