My son loves abstract paintings. He explained to me once how much I was missing by just seeing black paint on a white canvas. I hadn’t seen the energy, chaos or frustration that my son saw instantly, and which the artist later confirmed was there. My children, as I suspect is true for most children, see things differently. They can see things that my overly educated and highly biased mind may have missed or may have simply been trained to overlook as unimportant. As scientists, we tend to look very closely and deeply at one aspect of something and then ignore others because of specific ..read more

Agencies continue to work toward the goal of connecting all employees through the same network, no matter their location, to boost efficiency and security. The Census Bureau envisions more than 600,000 enumerators for the 2030 census connecting to a private 5G network — whether from a regional office or at someone’s doorstep — in lieu of the cloud. However, the timing for that shift is likely six years away. It’s more realistic that another agency with a much smaller footprint will be the first to implement a universal 5G environment for its employees. Infrastructure providers continue to ..read more

Hyperconverged infrastructure remains the gold standard for federal agencies looking for simpler ways to manage their data centers. About 80 percent of enterprises in general say they’ve expanded HCI deployments at the edge to help connect disparate tools and technologies. But is this approach a viable cloud alternative? Hyperconverged infrastructure is a software-defined approach that unifies key components, including storage, computing, networking and management. It essentially allows agencies to manage multiple infrastructure functions from a single control panel. HCI and cloud al ..read more

Consensus on where agencies should start their artificial intelligence journeys is shifting as federal officials continue to evaluate how the technology can work for them. Some agencies already use AI to fight fraud. Work with AI at the Department of Defense ranges from identifying cybersecurity threats to analyzing data from drones. Current AI use cases are “flattening” as the technology evolves, and increasingly, the ability to scrape data from documents and databases for analysis is table stakes, says Jeff Winterich, distinguished technologist for HPE Federal. “Almost every day, I talk to ..read more

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advanced regulations that will guide critical infrastructure companies and other organizations in required reporting of cyber breaches and ransomware incidents with its recent notice of proposed rulemaking. These proposed rules, complying with the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022, aim to address a number of challenges that have made improving organizations’ overall cybersecurity posture difficult. What’s more, the CIRCIA rules come as cyberattacks continue to roil U.S. companies and their customers ..read more

The Office of Management and Budget signaled a tipping point in the government’s embrace of artificial intelligence when it recently issued guidance to agencies on use of the emerging technology. As agencies move into this new era of AI-driven innovation — and original equipment manufacturers position themselves to meet growing demand — technology procurement decisions are taking on greater significance. Developing expertise in the underlying technologies that drive AI, high-performance computing and other data-intensive compute workloads will be a key factor in the success of agency use ..read more

Agencies have made significant and enduring shifts in how they use technology to enable remote and hybrid work. Videoconferencing and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and upgraded microphones and monitors in conference rooms have all become standard. A recent Government Accountability Office report highlights both the continuing benefits of telework and the challenges that agencies face, plus best practices that they should follow as they continue to adapt how they operate. The Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to bring employees back to the office post-pandemic in ..read more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s February release of version 2.0 of its Cybersecurity Framework is a milestone in the evolution of cyber standards, expanding them to encompass all sectors. CSF 2.0 is the first major overhaul of the framework — a published set of guidelines, best practices and standards for reducing organizations’ cyber risk first introduced in 2014 — which widens its scope beyond critical infrastructure entities to all entities. The framework supplies a comprehensive suite of cyber resources, regardless of organizational complexity or the challenges posed ..read more

There is always an inherent risk of compromise when moving data from one location to another. Some data might be lost, while other data might end up being corrupted or incomplete. Cloud migration adds the possibility of human error and technical issues, heightening the risks associated with data transfer. Agencies navigating cloud migration to align with the Biden administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy can mitigate some of these risks with a solution called content disarm and reconstruction. With CDR, agencies can extract and validate information from files before they’re ..read more

Until recently, rugged computers were often synonymous with slower processing power and lesser graphics performance. The weight and size of most rugged devices could also be challenging for travelers. However, after zooming from Hawaii to the Netherlands and Germany last December with a Getac B360 G2 along for the ride, I am convinced that this new rugged notebook can put all of those myths to rest. The Getac B360 G2 is designed for professionals who work in demanding environments and travel frequently but don’t want to lug a rock in their carry-ons. This laptop provides federal workers who ..read more