The Wrap: How to Track Zero Trust Progress; TMF Awards $50.2M for CX; New AI Pilot From the Army

Welcome to The Wrap for Tuesday, October 22.

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

How to Track Zero Trust Progress

Federal government agencies both big and small have been working on their migrations to zero trust security architectures for the better part of three years now, but how can anyone outside of those agency tech shops tell how well they are doing so far? For answers to those questions and some pro tips, we checked in with Sean Connelly – who now is the executive director of global zero trust strategy and policy at Zscaler , but until earlier this year was the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) program manager and zero trust initiative director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Connelly is also perhaps the Federal government’s number-one zero trust evangelist. He told us it’s best to keep an eye on both the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of the National Cyber Director, The White House (ONCD) for future clues on how the zero trust effort is going. He noted that ONCD was a brand-new office in 2021 but is now staffed up and highly involved in the Federal cybersecurity policy space. “There’s been focus and drive to help agencies with their zero trust efforts and what really makes this different is the top-down leadership push,” Connelly said. “The Technology Modernization Fund [TMF] is also a good place to look” for zero trust developments, he said. For all of the places to look to track zero trust progress, please check out the full story.

TMF Awards $50.2M for CX

Speaking of the General Services Administration’s ( GSA ) Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), the fund today announced its latest round of investments, totaling $50.2 million, aimed at modernizing customer experience services. The two lucky agencies that received awards are the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – which will receive $19.8 million – and the Social Security Administration (SSA) – which will receive $30.4 million. HUD will use the funding to implement a comprehensive Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (EICAM) solution. GSA said HUD’s current digital infrastructure – which is accessed by approximately 10,000 internal users and 540,000 external users – “is inefficient and struggles to keep pace with evolving security threats and user needs.” As for SSA, the agency will receive $19.5 million to transition to a “more efficient, user-friendly service featuring electronic signature capabilities and a robust online document upload platform.” Additionally, SSA will receive $9 million in TMF funds to create user-centered design guidance, build new digital tools, and modernize current backend systems for an enhanced customer experience. Last but not least, SSA will receive $1.9 million to use AI to support disability claim processing and enhance several key systems.

New AI Pilot From the Army

The 美国军队 rolled out yet another artificial intelligence-tailored pilot on Friday, this time to dive into the innovative uses of generative AI (GenAI) for its acquisition activities. #CalibrateAI builds on previous initiatives like #BreakAI, #CounterAI, and #DefendAI, all part of the Army’s 500-day AI implementation plan to safely develop and deploy AI capabilities. Announced in March, the plan’s first 100-day sprint focused on the conditions necessary for AI adoption. After wrapping up this initial phase in August, the Army is now diving into another 500-day sprint, building on its initial findings. #CalibrateAI will “explore innovative applications” of the technology for Army acquisition activities, according to Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering, and Software. “By using off-the-shelf AI tools and leveraging cross-service authority-to-operate reciprocity granted by DoD CIO, #CalibrateAI will explore how we increase productivity while enhancing the accuracy of information,” said Swanson.

Another CHIPS Award

Congrats to Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC), who the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it has reached a preliminary agreement with for up to $325 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The funding would support the construction of a new semiconductor-grade polysilicon manufacturing facility on HSC’s existing campus in Hemlock, Mich. The preliminary funding deal would support HSC’s commitment to create nearly 180 manufacturing jobs and over 1,000 construction jobs in Michigan. “Polysilicon is the bedrock of semiconductors, and it’s important we have a reliable source of this material to manufacture the chips that help support our economic and national security,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. For those of you wondering what polysilicon is: Polysilicon is the foundational material for microprocessors, AI chips, memory, and power devices – including solar. In fact, polysilicon is the physical substance that gives chips their semiconductor properties!

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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