Registration Closed The new Presidential Executive Order has increased emphasis on advancing toward “Zero-Trust Architecture” and “Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)”, and moving systems to FedRAMP clouds. Additionally, NIST has released the finals of many Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards (SP800-53 Rev 5 – Security Controls, SP800-53B – Security Control Baselines, Privacy Framework, SP800-160 Vol...

DevOps is gaining momentum in the government. It is a set of practices combining software development and IT operations with the goal of shortening the systems development life cycle and providing continuous delivery with high software quality. From identifying patterns to uncovering new ways to support the mission, DevOps plays an essential role in government’s digital transformation efforts to include how people put together tool chain...

Information drives and powers modern government with Federal, State and Local agencies seeking to improve engagement opportunities with citizens. The challenge is to effectively manage the explosion of information while protecting citizen’s data and privacy. Keeping up with the rapid expansion of information has put pressure on outdated governance and compliance practices. The 2021 Federal Data Strategy identifies specific actions to be...

In November 2020, OMB issued memorandum M-21-07 "Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)." The memo creates urgency for the Federal Government to adopt IPv6 protocol and the strategic intent to commit to operating its information services, networks and related services using only IPv6. This move is widely recognized as the only viable option to ensure future growth, modernization, and innovation in internet technology....

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) codifies the Department of Homeland Security's role in administering the implementation of information security policies created by NIST in order to secure federal information system security. 2021 brought many changes to Federal Cybersecurity requirements that will impact FISMA compliance—and affect government and contractor information systems and enterprises. Specifically, NIS...

Cloud Computing continues to grow in importance in the public sector. Agency personnel responsible for developing and implementing cloud-based solutions, for implementing data center consolidation and other technology efficiencies, continue to look for opportunities to learn about the best technologies, configurations, service and deployment models and appropriate mix of cloud services, based on their government agency requirements. Digital Go...

Ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt data files rendering any files on the computing device unusable. Once files are encrypted a ransom is demanded in exchange for decryption keys. Ransomware is a major ongoing security problem and a growing national security threat. Government agencies are organizing on numerous fronts to combat ransomware. On July 15, 2021 the U.S. Government launched a new One-Stop Ransomware resource at stop...

OVERVIEW By the beginning of 2021, NIST will have released the finals of many Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards: SP800-53 Rev 5 – Security Controls SP800-53B – Security Control Baselines, Privacy Framework SP800-160 Vol 2 – Systems Security Engineering SP800-161 Rev 1 – Supply Chain Risk Management SP800-171 Rev 2 – Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and High Valued Assets (HVA) Revisions to the NIS...

Natural disasters and other catastrophic events not only impact citizens directly, but also can disrupt the IT systems government agencies rely on to serve citizens after impact. It is critical that Federal, State and local governments respond in a timely fashion to circulate vital information and provide services to those affected, especially in an emergency. In order to do this, agencies must adopt modern solutions that support today’s...

Many government agencies are trying to be adaptive, agile, and innovative to improve performance and achieve mission objectives. But, at times, this can be a challenge considering the number of internal and external constraints on the agency. Incorporating business intelligence best practices into an agency’s knowledge management program can assist the agency in having the right information in the right place at the right time to enable...