The United States leads the world in adopting 5G technology for communications and wireless internet access, thanks to its high speed, low latency, and increased bandwidth access. This has provided a huge boost to digital transformation in both the public and private sectors. For instance, the rapid adoption of edge computing can be attributed to 5G’s superior qualities. The spread of 5G was accelerated by the pandemic, as agencies and b...

The premise of Moore’s law is that the speed and capability of computers can be expected to double every two years. Unspoken but implied is that new technologies will be introduced at a similar clip – along with new, sometimes unforeseen, challenges. Cybersecurity professionals know all about Moore’s law. For instance, the past 18 months has brought artificial intelligence (AI) into the mainstream, introducing plenty of both...

The federal government is doing everything it can to encourage agencies to adopt artificial intelligence tools to improve all aspects of their performance, while simultaneously paying close attention to potential risks of this exciting new technology. Currently, few agencies have adequate access to supercomputers and the deep expertise needed to operate the technology and test potential applications on secure infrastructure. This is beginning...

In today’s rapidly evolving public sector landscape, the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions is more critical than ever. For instance, using data gathered on water quality can be used for planning and designing environmental interventions to keep pollutants out of groundwater. Many agencies may implement data-driven decisions to improve citizen services, cutting down on response times and improving the quality of those servic...

The advent of 5G technology opened a new world of possibilities, enabling applications such as autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Things IoT), and smart cities. The next-generation communications standard already in development – 6G – is a revolutionary technology that will provide unprecedented speeds and low latency, making it perfect for innovative use cases such as smart homes, autonomous transportation systems, healthcare, a...

The 2020 election and its aftermath provided a vivid demonstration of many of the risks faced by election officials across the country – and new dangers have emerged in 2024. Physical threats to poll workers have proliferated, AI-generated disinformation showed up in one state’s primary contest, and other AI threats, whether from partisan interests, corporate disinterest or hostile nation-states, loom large. The landscape is so dan...

The federal government invests a lot of time, money and manpower into cybersecurity to protect its IT systems and, by extension, the national interest, from criminals and hostile nation-states. Cybersecurity is such a priority that even the National Security Agency, normally one of the government’s most secretive organizations, released guidance for both public and private sector organizations looking to strengthen their cloud security....

In the rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence (AI), government agencies are leveraging AI technologies to enhance security, operational efficiency, and data analysis across various sectors. They are being steered through their implementation of AI use by guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. AI In Depth offers a comprehensive look into the groundbreaking initiatives shaping the future of AI in federal operations, such...

Federal agencies’ systems are targeted by hostile interests all the time, whether it’s through a vulnerability in their networks or through a third-party product. The complexity and dynamism of the digital glass houses built on cloud platforms require significant time and effort to rebuild after a breach or a ransomware attack. And most impacted agencies or organizations don’t have an automated virtual blueprint to begin the...

In 2023, 725 data breaches were reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, according to HIPAA Journal. More than 133 million records were exposed or impermissibly disclosed. That’s just one risk in healthcare ecosystems. The dangers extend beyond that: every hospital bed is connected to the internet. People die when hospitals lose power – and if a hospital’s IT systems are compromised all the electronic pieces t...