GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts

The Department of Veterans Affairs has many public-facing apps that rely on  application programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party developers creating software and services to veterans. Managing this ecosystem is VA's Lighthouse, where Deputy Director Andrew Fichter is constantly looking at innovating how to share and manage the data that fuels these apps. Fichter discusses how Lighthouse is s...

Climate change has a major impact on public health, especially for vulnerable communities. Rising temperatures, severe storms and other severe events can negatively affect health outcomes. Agencies are increasingly using data and technology for programs and tools to boost health equity. Dr. John Balbus, director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Huma...

Protecting sensitive information is critical to cybersecurity, but agencies need to learn to operate with fewer secrets in the aftermath of cybersecurity incidents. Sharing information about attacks within the community can help protect against future ones, according to Suzanne Spaulding, who formerly led the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security. Spau...

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, telehealth and telemedicine have dramatically improved and widened the ability for the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver health care to veterans. These technologies are revolutionary, but they also come with a higher risk of being compromised. VA Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy Amber Pearson discusses the...

Zero Trust is becoming a critical pillar of the department of Defense's cybersecurity strategy. The strategy, embodied by the motto of "never trust, always verify," demands a new outlook on cybersecurity. Randy Resnick discusses why Zero Trust is so important, how his office is working to reshape the way DOD employees view zero trust, and how clear standards can help the DOD and other agencies ado...

From the battlefield to headquarters, the potential of 5G networks opens the door for new partnerships, strategies and emerging technologies. At TechNet Cyber, Defense Department 5G Cross Functional Team Director Juan Ramirez discusses how 5G unites the department under multiple interoperability efforts, prepares the warfighter for the fight of the future and enhances the cybersecurity of the DOD...

The military services are prioritizing developing technology in warfighting scenarios and fielding it quickly. At the Department of the Navy, officials are thinking about how to bring forward a set capabilities that can be interoperable throughout different scenarios while maintaining security. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Navy CIO Jane Rathbun discussed interoperability in the defense industry and pla...

The Defense Department's Fulcrum: DoD Information Technology (IT) Advancement Strategy unites many of DOD's cybersecurity strategies under one umbrella. It also provides a roadmap through 2029 for the DOD CIO's essential support of the National Defense Strategy. Robert Franzen, Deputy Customer Experience Officer at the DOD CIO's office, breaks down the department's recently unveiled Fulcrum and ho...

In an interview at the AWS Summit, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Chief Scientist for AI Court Corley and Director of the Center for Cloud Computing Scott Godwin discussed their efforts to enhance research through AI and cloud computing. They emphasized providing foundational compute capabilities and access to cloud services for Energy Department researchers addressing critical issue...

At AWS Summit in Washington DC, Nutanix Senior Director of US Federal Greg O'Connell discussed how agencies can ensure seamless data migration and app mobility, leverage generative AI and incorporate security. He equated today's rapid growth in modern applications to the impact of the browser, as the "killer app" of the internet era of the 1990s. With projections of 750 million new apps by 2026, h...

The Air Force Sustainment Center is modernizing supply chain and logistics operations with cloud. Having an efficiently running supply chain and manufacturing operations for supplies and weapons systems is critical to national security. Leaders from the center, John York and Josh Thompson, highlight at AWS Summit some of their priorities around cloud and hybrid cloud. They also detail how developm...

Challenges can be opportunities when it comes to software modernization at the Defense Department. The agency is meeting these opportunities with the release of its new Fulcrum strategy and ongoing zero trust efforts, according to DOD Director of Cloud & Software Modernization George Lamb. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Lamb discussed progress made on the Pentagon's 2022 software modernization strategy,...

The Food and Drug Administration recently released a new acquisition strategy that aims to transform how the agency buys technology to impact multiple mission areas. In an interview with FDA Office of Enterprise Portfolio Management Director Joseph Montgomery at AWS Summit, he highlights the importance of this strategy to create a "one FDA" ecosystem that prioritizes advanced technology and keepin...

Automation is unlocking new levels of security for federal agencies facing a wide range of new threats and challenges. Red Hat Chief Architect for Law Enforcement & Justice Mike Hardee joined us to outline how federal IT leaders can harness these new automation solutions to provide higher levels of security. Hardee explained how automation can help federal agencies utilize automation to overcome e...

In an interview at the AWS Summit, Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leith States discussed the significant impact of AI on health care. He also highlighted the critical priorities of ensuring continuity through the upcoming election cycle and managing resources effectively amid unpredictable funding scenarios. Plus, he shared his vision for health equity by design....

The U.S. Army is prioritizing digital transformation and new software development policies when it historically took the service months, even years, to deploy new technology. At AWS Summit, Army Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Young Bang highlights the Army's efforts to modernize its acquisition and technology processes to field new tech more quickly....

Officials at Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) need to protect the DOD's thousands of employees when they use the network. To secure the system, JFHQ-DODIN uses a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity, including adaptive intelligence, identity management and partnerships. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, JFHQ-DODIN Director of Operations Col. Michael Reeder...

Every day, thousands of attacks are directed at U.S. military, government and defense industrial base systems. Protecting those systems is increasingly a key part of the national defense mission and keeping pace with adversaries is critical. Gen. Timothy Haugh leads Cyber Command and the National Security Agency in a dual-hat role. According to him, the ability to adapt and build resiliency is key...

Connectivity is integral to the warfighting force, but connecting the dispersed military and civilian workforce around the world is challenging. It requires a balance of speed and security while also prioritizing the user experience and modernizing infrastructure. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Defense Information Systems Agency J6 Global Services Directorate Vice Director Brig. Gen. Michael Cornell disc...

One year since the publication of the Defense Department's Cyber Workforce Implementation Plan, the department has made progress on filling 30,000 open cybersecurity roles. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, DOD Principal Director for Resources & Analysis Mark Gorak discusses the plan and how it's enabled the department to fill about 3,000 jobs so far. He also breaks down the next steps ahead in achieving fu...

As the third largest network in the world behind the U.S. and China, Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information (DODIN) has many vulnerabilities it must secure. A key part of this mission is recruiting the talent to fill its numerous open cyber roles. DODIN Network Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Heather Blackwell said key to building strong cybersecurity is having an engaged and inn...

Artificial Intelligence is impacting two main areas of cancer research: image analysis and managing massive amounts of clinical data. The National Cancer Institute sees AI as a key capability in precision oncology. Dr. Eytan Ruppin, chief of NCI's Cancer Data Science Lab, recently published a study about a new AI tool researchers are implementing to foresee how a patient will respond to immunother...

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has its sights set on advancing health equity through "Health Equity By Design" and U.S. Core Data Interoperability standards to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to the highest quality of health care regardless of race, gender, disability, location and a host of other factors. Artificial intelligence is also playing a pivotal role...

The Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), both a bureau in the State Department and a member of the Intelligence Community, is the only U.S. intelligence organization with the primary responsibility of providing intelligence to inform diplomacy and support U.S. diplomats. The bureau, like many government agencies, has focused on modernizing the enterprise by upskilling the workforce and moder...

Following its "Secure by Design" initiative and pledge, America's cyber defense agency, CISA, is supporting the movement for software manufacturers to build security into their products at the start. The movement is part of a White House priority to shift responsibility for cybersecurity away from end users and toward manufacturers. CISA Senior Technical Advisor Jack Cable and Senior Policy Adviso...