The Daily Scoop Podcast

CISA has launched a new Zero Trust Initiative Office, showcasing its dedication to supporting federal agencies on the implementation journey for the security framework. But what does that mean for some of CISA’s more legacy security initiatives, like the Trusted Internet Connections program? CISA’s TIC lead Sean Connelly recently joined me for a fireside chat at the Zero Trust Summit to discuss th...

With 2024 in full swing, cybersecurity remains a top priority in the federal technology space and beyond. In a special interview, the NSA’s Rob Joyce and Morgan Adamski sit down with CyberScoop’s Elias Groll to examine the major cybersecurity trends from last year that will continue on in 2024, the evolution of Russian hacking operations, how China is targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and how...

Daily Scoop listeners are going to be very familiar with the body of work of this episode’s guest. She’s a former deputy federal CIO, CIO of the Small Business Administration and CTO of the Transportation Department, among the many other roles she held during her vast career in federal IT before retiring in 2022. I’m of course speaking of the one and only Maria Roat. Now serving in several board r...

We’re back with part two of a two-part interview with Egon Rinderer, chief technologist for Shift 5 and a former operator for the U.S. Navy. In part one we discussed a new round of bonuses the Air Force authorized worth up to $600,000 to retain existing manned aircraft and drone pilots, combat systems operators and air battle managers — and how the challenges the service is facing in keeping airme...

The Air Force in December approved a new round of bonuses worth up to $600,000 that are designed to retain existing manned aircraft and drone pilots, combat systems operators and air battle managers. The move showcases the challenges the service is facing in keeping airmen on board. But according to my guest, despite the major financial incentive, that may not be enough. Egon Rinderer, chief techn...

When it comes to federal cybersecurity efforts — particularly the adoption of zero-trust security architectures — CISA’s Sean Connelly is a top voice within the community related to the strides agencies are making to enhance their cyber protections. Connelly joins the Daily Scoop podcast to discuss the latest on federal zero trust progress, how the Trusted Internet Connections program has evolved,...

Last week, Scoop News Group partnered with Google Public Sector to host the Google Defense Forum. The tremendous lineup of defense officials representing the Pentagon, a variety of military services and other defense agencies kicked off with a fireside chat between myself and retired four-star Gen. Dave Goldfein, who served as the chief of staff of the Department of the Air Force. Now the chairman...

Over the past year, FedScoop has led coverage of the flurry of AI developments coming out of the federal government and the supprounding legislative and commercial space. In particular, the team’s reporters have kept a close watch on how agencies are adopting AI technologies in a responsible and transparent manner Joining the podcast to discuss that and more are FedScoop reporters Madison Alder an...

The federal government has made large strides in setting guardrails for AI development, adoption and use in recent months, driven by the Biden administration’s executive order on AI. Despite the momentum and buzz that’s engulfed the AI adoption landscape, the federal government and agencies must be measured and responsible in their approach to leveraging AI. That’s according to MK Palmore, directo...

Following the issuance of the Biden administration’s executive order on AI, OMB guidance has called for all federal CFO Act agencies to appoint chief AI officers to coordinate their agency’s use of AI, promote AI innovation and manage AI risks, while also serving as vice chairs of their agency’s AI governance boards. GSA was one of the first agencies to name a CAIO, giving its chief data officer Z...

The U.S. national security apparatus in 2021 signed on to a trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia that has come to be known as AUKUS. The partnership, as the Pentagon explains, is intended to strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defense interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, building on longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties. And it will p...

The State Department has one of the most global missions in the federal government, providing IT services at facilities in 190 nations across the world. With that, though, comes decades of tech debt that CIO Kelly Fletcher and her team at State’s Bureau of Information Resource Management are working to modernize. Fletcher spoke recently with my colleague Wyatt Kash about that modernization journey...

Last month, FedScoop reported exclusive news from an interview with Congressman Ro Khanna, the Democratic representative from the Sillicon Valley area in California. In those stories, reporter Nihal Krishan highlighted Khanna’s new legislation that looks to hold federal agencies accountable for digital service delivery and how the congressman hopes to see workers better represented on the boards o...

Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in constituent engagement for both Federal and state and local levels. Gretchen Brainard, Principal at Deloitte Digital joins the Daily Scoop Podcast to discuss how AI is helping government agencies improve constituent engagement and improve the human experience.

While AI stole the show in 2023 in terms of top federal IT trends and themes, cybersecurity — particularly adoption of zero trust — remained an essential focus across the federal government. While agencies are taking varied paths to modernizing their cybersecurity with zero-trust architectures, the Department of Commerce has taken perhaps the most aggressive and streamlined approach in moving to z...

The White House issued an executive order on artificial intelligence at the end of October that set in place the foundation for how the U.S. hopes to lead on the development and adoption of the technology. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and its director, Arati Prabhakar, played a key role in shaping the creation of that order. FedScoop editorial fellow Caroline Nihill spoke with Prabh...

Based on the draft guidance OMB published recently to modernize the FedRAMP cloud security authorization program, it appears the practice of enlisting vendors to build government-specific cloud enclaves could be a thing of the past. As it stands, the policy would push federal agencies to use the commercial public cloud services that vendors provide most any of their other customers rather than the...

The Biden administration has issued a flurry of new IT mandates and policies in recent months, from the landmark AI executive order and guidance for agencies to new directives on digital experience and modernizing FedRAMP. While it may be a lot to digest for federal CIOs and IT professionals, there’s an obvious crossover among the mandates that makes their close timing seem like more of a feature...

The White House and the Biden administration have issued several cybersecurity modernization initiatives in recent years, from supply chain security to implementing zero trust architecture across the federal government. Federal CISO Chris DeRusha recently delivered the opening keynote address at CyberTalks detailing the latest developments in the White House’s push to improve the government’s and...

Back in September, before the Biden administration’s executive order on artificial intelligence, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas tapped CIO Eric Hysen to also be the department’s chief AI officer. But long before that appointment, DHS and Hysen have been steadfastly focused on building out the department’s use of AI technologies and, more importantly, ensuring they are used in a...

The Biden administration recently issued draft guidance to modernize the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, better known as FedRAMP. With that policy in draft form, the Office of Management and Budget, led by the Office of the Federal CIO, has been engaging the public to solicit feedback on the proposed guidance. And already, that effort has been quite fruitful, Drew Mkylegard, dep...

On todays episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast, we have a special interview between two of our own here at Scoop News Group. CyberScoop senior editor Elias Groll is joined by FedScoop tech reporter Rebecca Heilweil for an in-depth conversation on the Biden administration’s recent artificial intelligence executive order and how it will shape the way the government uses AI. We’ll take you now to that...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The federal government is once again facing the potential of a shutdown as the current continuing resolution is set to expire at midnight Nov. 17. And while partisan politics drive the conversation around whether Congress will reach another short-term spending bill in time, it’s ultimately the American public and federal workers who will feel the impact if...

The recently assembled, latest iteration of the Defense Innovation Board has a new executive director in Marina Theodotou, who comes to the board after leading workforce innovation readiness efforts for the Defense Acquisition University. Now in full swing, the DIB 3.0, as Theodotou calls it, is in the middle of conducting two studies — one on Lowering Barriers to Innovation and another on Buildin...

With the recent signing of the executive order on artificial intelligence, it will be incumbent upon the federal government to lead by example in adopting and deploying AI technologies. While that will be a whole of government effort, the General Services Administration and its Technology Transformation Services will be counted on as a central hub of tech expertise to assist other federal agencies...