The Daily Scoop Podcast

Federal CIO Clare Martorana and Director of Digital Experience Jonathan Finch discuss the new guidance on digital accessibility for federal agencies, emphasizing equal access for individuals with disabilities. They also explore the role of AI in improving citizens' experiences with the federal government and the importance of collaboration and responsible AI use in government agencies.

The Transportation Security Administration recently announced the launch of its IT Lift Cell Innovation Lab, a space through which TSA’s network of innovative thinkers can put their ideas to work. The lab is meant to be a “Apple Genius Bar meets TSA IT,” according to the agency, and a place where the department’s IT office can host workshops, open hours and meetings for employee brainstorming sessions. TSA CIO Yemi Oshinnaiye joins the Daily Scoop Podcast to discuss the new lab, the concept behind Lift Cells and his top priorities now two years into his role leading the agency’s IT portfolio.

Exploring the evolution of zero trust architecture in the public sector, including mandates from the Biden administration. Discussing the importance of securing data at all levels of government, with insights from former OMB Cyber Team chief. Analyzing state and federal approaches to zero trust adoption, highlighting challenges and success stories. Addressing the need for increased funding for cybersecurity initiatives and streamlined technology acquisition processes in government agencies.

Federal agencies, as well as other entities across the private sector, are at a major disadvantage when it comes to protecting their sensitive information and systems from bad actors. Hackers are getting more sophisticated, and cyberattacks are increasing in quantity and severity. And, the vast majority of the time, humans are the weakest link in cyberattack vectors. A new program out of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency wants to turn that notion on its head, shifting the asymmetric nature of cyber defense to benefit defenders by building cyberpsychology-informed defenses and influencing and manipulating a cyberattacker’s decision-making throughout an attack. Dr. Kimberly Ferguson-Walter leads ReSCIND — the project which stands for Reimagining Security with Cyberpsychology-Informed Network Defenses — and she joins me now to discuss the idea behind the project, the field of cyberpsychology and the end goal of the novel initiative.

For nearly a year now, the adoption of artificial intelligence has been all the rage in the government space. But still, as you’ve seen in FedScoop’s reporting, there has been hesitation by some agencies to fully embrace the emerging technology because of unknown risks and fear of issues with safety, security and privacy. Meagan Metzger, the founder and CEO of Dcode, joins me now to discuss the status of AI adoption across the federal government, how people are key to it adoption and how things are progressing for agencies and commercial firms that don’t see eye to eye on sharing what’s going on inside an AI algorithm. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The podcast discusses the challenges of implementing zero trust security in national security systems, the use of AI for predictive insights, agile methods for ATO processes, and optimizing cybersecurity in software development. It highlights the importance of consistent security measures and the need for structured teams in enhancing real-time security strategies.

Last week, House leaders formally announced the creation of a new bipartisan task force on artificial intelligence — an effort that marks a major step forward in efforts to legislate with representation from both parties. Rep. Yvette Clarke — a Democrat from New York who was one of the first members of Congress to call out the potential harms of artificial intelligence — is one of 24 members on that task force. In an interview with FedScoop’s Rebecca Heilweil, Clarke discusses her expectations for serving on the bipartisan task force, what concerns her most about the technology and the prospects for regulatory and legislative action.

For several years now, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been exploring how AI can lead to better outcomes for the veterans it serves. The National AI Institute has been an essential part of that, most recently leading tech sprints in conjunction with last year’s AI executive order aiming to reduce healthcare worker burnout. Joining me to discuss that and much more is Dr. Gil Alterovitz, the director of VA’s National AI Institute and chief AI officer for the Veterans Health Administration. He was also previously the first chief AI officer for the larger Department of Veterans Affairs.

The podcast delves into the future of the TIC program as CISA launches a Zero Trust Initiative Office. It discusses the challenges in Veterans Affairs' Electronic Health Record Modernization and the evolution of TIC alongside Zero Trust in federal agencies. The transition from TIC-2 to TIC-3 and the importance of cloud security and AI in enhancing security measures are also explored.

The NSA discusses major cybersecurity trends for 2024, Chinese cyber operations targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, challenges in cybersecurity defense for the defense industrial base, evolution of cybersecurity partnerships, emerging trends in AI security and cyber threats, and exploring open source models in national security perspectives.