Ep. 265 Data Ready Architecture: Operationalizing AI, HPC Trusted Science at Scale
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Release Date: 09/10/2026
Ep. 270 Breaking the Silos: Building a Secure Foundation for Government AI
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
In today’s podcast, we unpack the realities of AI helping government agencies use data to improve services. Our experts will consider uncovering data, the cost of that discovery, and how adjusting to AI can lead to data leaks. Discovering where data resides is the first step. Rudolph Rojas works for the USDA, during the discussion, he mentions that it has over 70,000 employees who may or may not have created hundreds of little reporting applications running in legacy systems. He expands on this challenge by noting that even if you can find all the nooks and crannies where it resides,...
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Ep. 269 Segmentation in the Age of AI: When Environments Move Faster than Humans.
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
AI is moving faster than the rules designed to secure it. How can government leaders keep pace without creating new vulnerabilities? In this week’s episode of Feds at the Edge, we explore how public sector leaders are adapting data security, workload, and identity controls for the age of AI. Kris Pennete from the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency discusses why AI’s speed makes deliberate security design more important and why controls should extend beyond the traditional network. Akamai’s Brian Dennis explores how microsegmentation can limit the impact...
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Ep. 268 AI at the Edge Turning Promise into Mission Advancement
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Today, we sat down with a group of experts who have experience taking AI out of the data center and putting it into the field. This enables fast, resilient decision-making in disconnected, bandwidth-constrained, contested, and high-consequence environments. Charles Ritter from Idaho National Labs provides an excellent use case. He begins by outlining the growing popularity of local LLMs and the quality gains products from Nvidia can deliver. Ritter’s use case is managing a nuclear facility. When humans must make laboratory decisions, it can take years; an autonomous laboratory system can...
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Ep. 267 Can AI Deliver Better Processes, Less Spending for Cities and Counties?
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Still tasked with doing more with less, agencies everywhere are focused on how to get more “bang for the buck,” especially when it comes to AI. In this week’s episode of Feds at the Edge, technology leaders share how they are staying ahead in the era of AI without breaking their limited budgets. Lorain County, Ohio’s Todd Sharkey opens with some concepts that may not be obvious. Because most county staffs are, by definition, small, he suggests looking beyond your own organization for help and learning from others facing the same challenges. Khaled Twafik expands on...
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Ep. 266 Post Quantum Cryptography in the Federal Government
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Is your agency ready for the quantum revolution? Quantum computing promises incredible breakthroughs, but it also brings new challenges to federal cybersecurity. In this week’s episode of Feds At The Edge, we explore how agencies can proactively prepare for the quantum future and protect sensitive data today. While a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) may still be on the horizon, adversary tactics like "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" (HNDL) make quantum readiness an immediate priority. U.S. GAO’s Marisol Cruz Cain and Leidos’ Joe Kovba, along with Rosa Underwood from...
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Ep. 265 Data Ready Architecture: Operationalizing AI, HPC Trusted Science at Scale
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
While we all know AI can boost productivity, agencies everywhere are trying to figure out how that will relate to the government workload. In this episode of Feds At The Edge, experts familiar with the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission unpack what it takes to move from AI experimentation to secure, scalable, mission-ready infrastructure across national laboratories and research environments. Dana Grisham of Sandia National Laboratories explores a fundamental architecture question: how do you balance centralized control with the flexibility of a federated model, especially when...
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Ep. 264 Software Assessment and Asset Management: Critical Tool for Agencies
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Here is the final copy for this one and I will have the next over to you soon: Software management presents itself as an easy task: install software, then deinstall it at the end of its life. Unfortunately, the complexity of modern systems has made managing software in enterprise situations more of a nightmare than a walk in the park. In this week’s episode of Feds At The Edge, government and industry thought leaders share practical approaches to managing software assets, from establishing authoritative data across...
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Ep. 263 Cyber Defense in the AI Era: Adaptive EDR for Compliance, Cost Control, and Threat Response
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
The concept of EDR is flawless, but complex federal environments present distinct operational hurdles. In this week’s episode of Feds At The Edge, we dive into Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) in the federal government and explore how expert-suggested approaches can help agencies overcome today's barriers. While EDR provides continuous monitoring and automated containment across agency devices, federal civilian networks face unique challenges in practice. Broadcom’s Paul Miller admits that EDR's core weakness is its reactive nature, discussing how AI...
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Ep. 262 Mission Success Through Zero Trust: Securing the Fourth Estate’s Mission Networks
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
According to Greg Touhill, the first CISO of the United States, complexity is the bane of IT security. Today, that lesson remains especially relevant. In this week’s episode of Feds At The Edge, several thought leaders share how agencies can reduce complexity, integrate legacy systems, balance usability with security, and build a Zero Trust environment that continues to improve over time. Robert Skinner of Skinner's Strategic Solutions, explores the power of reducing system complexity and data flows to unlock...
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Ep. 261 Reassessing Modernization Priorities
Feds At The Edge by FedInsider
Listeners may be familiar with a quote from Frederick the Great, “He who defends everything, defends nothing.” Federal leaders understand this all too well. As they are deluged with data, attacks, and new technology on a daily basis, it can be confusing what to prioritize and in trying to defend everything, agencies can be left vulnerable to attack. In this week’s episode of Feds At The Edge, several thought leaders share how they set priorities, leverage existing tools, and experiment with new solutions to enhance efficiency and security....
info_outlineWhile we all know AI can boost productivity, agencies everywhere are trying to figure out how that will relate to the government workload.
In this episode of Feds At The Edge, experts familiar with the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission unpack what it takes to move from AI experimentation to secure, scalable, mission-ready infrastructure across national laboratories and research environments.
Dana Grisham of Sandia National Laboratories explores a fundamental architecture question: how do you balance centralized control with the flexibility of a federated model, especially when innovation is moving fast and compliance can’t take a back seat?
David Henderson takes the conversation deeper into data governance, examining how agencies can maintain control and visibility as information moves from databases to data lakes, warehouses, and beyond. A common data catalog, he argues, can help create the consistency and accountability these environments demand.
Frank Reyes of Maximus looks at architecture as more than infrastructure. Done well, it becomes a set of guardrails, helping federal organizations optimize performance while operating within demanding security, governance, and mission constraints.
The conversation also tackles some of the toughest realities of AI modernization: technical debt, data-sharing agreements, cross-organizational collaboration, and the security requirements that can determine whether innovation scales, or stalls.
For agencies working to turn AI ambition into operational capability, this is where the real work begins. Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform today.