The Wrap: GSA Sprucing up ‘Front Door’; DoD Plugging Intel Leaks; AI Culture Gap

Welcome to The Wrap for Wednesday, April 19!

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From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:

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GSA Sprucing up Digital ‘Front Door’

The General Services Administration (GSA) has unveiled the latest improvements to the Federal government’s digital “front door” with the newly redesigned?USA.gov?and?USAGov en Espa?ol?websites. The redesign comes after months of beta testing the new features, which make it easier and quicker for the public to access the government information they need, and respond to one of the pillars of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) policy to boost citizen service. “These updates reflect our commitment to coupling smart, user-centered designs with robust data to deliver exactly what the American people need when they come to USA.gov, the Federal government’s front door,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a?blog post, along with shout-outs to GSA’s Technology Transformation Services organization, TTS’ new director, Ann Lewis, and the U.S. Web Design System. Who does it matter to? How about the six million people that hit the USA.gov site in the last 30 days, or the 105 million that visited in fiscal year 2022.

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Plugging the Intel Leaks

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III?this week?ordered?a widescale review of how secret information is handled and managed by the military following the leak of dozens of highly sensitive Pentagon documents apparently at the hands of a low-level Massachusetts Air National Guard airman. Austin wants findings back to him in 45 days on how to shore up classified security after the review by several Pentagon offices including the DoD CIO’s office. At the same time, Austin directed all DoD components to assess how they are adhering to standards for protecting classified national security information, and to report back by May 2. “We’ll have more to say soon on more immediate actions that we will be taking,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.

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Closing the AI Culture Gap…

Ninety-five percent of Federal IT executives say their agencies are investing in in-house AI skills development – but in the past year, half of agencies had an AI project fail due to lack of in-house expertise, according to new?research?from MeriTalk and Future Tech. Martin Stanley, the strategic technology branch chief at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said on a MeriTalk webinar that in order to close that skills gap in the Federal workforce, agencies must bring diverse AI talent in, as well as educate IT leadership on the importance of AI and other emerging technologies. “One of the biggest challenges that we have is making sure that we set ourselves up for success,” Stanley said.

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…And Weighing AI Regs

That was one outcome of a Senate Armed Services cyber subcommittee hearing today that featured expert AI witnesses talking about how the Defense Department (DoD) can better leverage the emerging technology to improve warfighting – while also ensuring that cybersecurity comes baked into the process.?Subcommittee Chairman Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., tasked the three witnesses with creating a team in the next month or two that will gather its thoughts on the importance of AI regulation so lawmakers can begin to draft legislation.?

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DoD Principal Deputy CIO

Congrats to Gen. Leslie Beavers, who will take over as principal deputy CIO at the Defense Department (DoD), and begin at her new post on May 8. The deputy CIO job has been vacant since October – when?Kelly Fletcher left DoD?to become CIO at the State Department. Since then, DoD Chief Information Security Officer?Dave McKeown has filled the role in an acting capacity. In her new role, Beavers will assist CIO John Sherman in advising the Secretary of Defense on information management, information technology, and information assurance, the Office of the DoD CIO said. She also has a long specific priority list: non-intelligence space systems, critical satellite communications, navigation, timing programs, spectrum, and telecommunications matters, and driving strategic resource planning across the IT and cybersecurity domains.

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Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we'll bring you more tomorrow. Until then please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, process, and policy.

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