Ep. 213 CMMC 2.0: What DoD Contractors Need to Know
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Release Date: 08/20/2025
Ep. 232 Harnessing AI and ML for Smarter Cybersecurity
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Today, we hear how to leverage the much-vaunted AI and ML technologies to make practical cybersecurity improvements for the federal government. The analysis includes comments about setting a base line, prioritizing alerts and a quick dive into the characteristics of Operational Technology (OT). BASELINE: Signature-based risk analysis has proven to be easy to deceive. Alex Maier from August Schell suggests that the solution is a move to a “behavior” based tool. In other words, see where a user's behavior varies from the norm. If that is the case, then you must know what “typical” is all...
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Ep. 231 OT is Not IT
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
One sensor can generate 1.3 million data points per minute. Now imagine hundreds of them on a single military aircraft. OT powers everything from sensors in Air Force fighter jets to floating ocean buoys, yet applying traditional data management strategies to these systems is anything but simple. While many understand that OT controls physical devices, far fewer grasp the scale, velocity, and complexity of the data these systems generate. This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from US Coast Guard, US Strategic Command, Army Test...
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Ep. 230 The Role of Technology in Improving Healthcare Systems
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
As agencies look to modernize healthcare systems, technology leaders face a unique challenge: driving innovation while safeguarding sensitive personal data and meeting strict regulatory requirements. This week on Feds At the Edge, we hear from two unique perspectives on how to modernize healthcare safely, strategically, and effectively. Suresh Soundararajan, CIO for the Virginia Department of Health, explains why technology initiatives fail when they aren’t aligned with organizational strategy, and why success should be measured...
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Ep. 229 Cost-Efficient IT Modernization for State and Local Agencies
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
All government agencies face the challenge of achieving ambitious IT modernization goals while juggling limited resources and seemingly endless needs. This week on Feds At the Edge, experts explore practical strategies to make modernization both achievable and cost-effective. Christine Maii Sakuda, State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and administrator of the Office of Enterprise Technology Services for Hawaii, shares how a dedicated change management advocate and early practitioner engagement can transform digital initiatives, emphasizing that...
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Ep. 228 Building a Compliance Framework for Providers and Agencies
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Cloud adoption is accelerating, data is exploding, and agencies are under pressure to understand where cloud provider responsibility end, and where theirs begins. This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from the State of Kansas, GovRAMP, and Palo Alto Networks share practical guidance for navigating today’s cloud landscape. Jeff Maxon, CITO for the State of Kansas, shares how to differentiate between infrastructure and applications and why responsibility shifts to the customer once you move into the application layer. Michael Gregg, Field CIO at Palo Alto Networks,...
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Ep. 227 Ensuring Data Security and Compliance
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
What if decades of security headaches could be solved with one framework? In 2011, FedRAMP was created to end the repetitive, time-consuming security audits across federal agencies, standardizing security to cut costs and accelerate cloud adoption. Fast forward ten years, and state governments faced the same challenges. Enter GovRAMP: a standardized, transparent framework based on NIST 800-53 rev5, designed to bring states together around shared security practices. This week on Feds At the Edge, data security experts break down the...
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Ep. 226 Finding Your Best Strategy for a Multi-Cloud Environment
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Making the transition from on-prem to the multi-cloud can be tough, and the real challenges often emerge long after the migration plan is written. This week on Feds At the Edge, three experts in the multi-cloud world break down the assumptions, surprises, and security realities organizations face along the way. Jessica Van Eerde, Chief of Operations for GovRAMP, offers three essential, practical suggestions for anyone considering a move: assessing security compliance, validating support and...
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Ep. 225 Bring the Power of AI to Cybersecurity
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
As technology evolves, so does our understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. This week on Feds At the Edge, we break down how artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity, where it can meaningfully improve defense, and what agencies should consider before deploying it. LCDR Ian Roessle, Deputy Director, Center for High Assurance Computer Systems at the Naval Research Laboratory, explains why vulnerabilities don’t always translate to real risk and emphasizes knowing your systems...
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Ep. 224 Strengthen and Automate Your Cyber Risk Management
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Today, we take a nuanced look at automating cyber risk management. Let’s start with ingress of data. Kemp Jennings-Roach from the DoD understands the concept of having a complete inventory of an agency’s data. Still, his experience shows that data coming in from multiple missions, potentially with various classifications, can be challenging. Combine that with varying kinds of reporting requirements, and you get a process that can overwhelm even the most experienced individuals. His recommendation is to consider a platform approach that can help normalize data, allowing...
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Ep. 223 Zero Trust: Improving your business continuity program
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Zero Trust isn’t just about defense - it’s about unlocking new capabilities across even the most legacy-heavy federal systems. When agencies move to a Zero Trust Architecture, the benefits go far beyond stronger cybersecurity. Integrating decades-old systems into a Zero Trust framework can actually centralize data, create consistency, and open new paths to modernization. This week on Feds At the Edge, Sean Phuphanich, Principal Technologist at AWS, explains how synthetic data can safely demonstrate cloud scalability in non-production environments, while Richard...
info_outlineA looming deadline always gets attention, and for DoD suppliers, the clock is ticking. On October 1, 2025, the Department of Defense will begin including Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC) certification requirements in new contracts.
This week on Feds At The Edge, four leading experts cut through the complexity and share practical guidance to help you start, or finish, your CMMC journey.
Sean Frazier, Federal Chief Security Officer for Okta, explains why “Know Thy Data” is the key to applying the right level of security where it matters most. Alan Dinerman, PhD, Senior Manager, Cyber Strategy, Policy, and Privacy at Mitre, puts CMMC in context with other cybersecurity standards, noting its focus on Controlled Unclassified Information. And Jeff Adorno, Field Chief Compliance Officer at ZScaler, warns of risks in the AI era, where sensitive data can unintentionally “leak” into Large Language Models. The panel as a whole highlights how aligning with existing frameworks and using current technologies can demonstrate progress to auditors and ease compliance.
Listen now on your favorite podcast platform because whether you’re deep into compliance or just getting started, this conversation will help you navigate the evolving landscape of CMMC and beyond.