Federal Tech Podcast: for innovators, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who want to increase reach and improve brand awareness
The federal government spends $90 billion on technology every year. If you are a tech innovator and want to expand your share of the market, this is the podcast for you to find new opportunities for growth. Every week, Federal Tech Podcast sits down with successful innovators who have solved complex computer system problems for federal agencies. They cover topics like Artificial Intelligence, Zero Trust, and the Hybrid Cloud. You can listen to the technical issues that concern federal agencies to see if you company’s capabilities can fit. The moderator, John Gilroy, is an award-winning lecturer at Georgetown University and has recorded over 1,000 interviews. His interviews are humorous and entertaining despite handing a serious topic. The podcast answers questions like . . . How can software companies work with the federal government? What are federal business opportunities? Who are the cloud providers who work with the federal government? Should I partner with a federal technology contractor? What is a federal reseller? Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com
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Ep. 268 How Virtualitics Helps Federal Agencies Prepare for AI at Scale
08/26/2025
Ep. 268 How Virtualitics Helps Federal Agencies Prepare for AI at Scale
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Virtualitics, a company spun out of Caltech and NASA JPL in 2016, focuses on applying advanced AI to mission-critical challenges, including asset availability, personnel readiness, and supply chain optimization. During the interview, Rob Bocek, Chief Revenue Officer at Virtualitics, provides listeners with insight into how his company can enhance Air Force readiness while ensuring explainability and democratizing AI. Sometimes, AI is described as a “black box” where one pours in data and out pops an answer. In a life-or-death scenario that many military organizations face, this arbitrary approach will not suffice. As a result, solutions provided by Virtualitics, document the process carefully. Listening to the customer is key to understanding supply chain problems. Rob Bocek details how his team will get close to the end user. This can be a “democratic” approach where a wide variety of input is absorbed. Virtualitics aims to identify the root causes of pain and determine what specifically needs to be solved. He highlights their ability to detect anomalies, optimize training pipelines, and anticipate equipment failures. Once these preliminaries are brought together, the most tremendous success will be accomplished when leadership takes risks. Looking ahead, Virtualitics is hosting the Frontiers of AI for Readiness Summit at Caltech to convene DoD leaders, academics, industry, and investors. Bocek emphasizes partnerships across technology providers, cloud platforms, and startups as essential to scaling AI solutions and accelerating the DoD’s adoption.
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Ep. 267 Inside the Push to Build Smarter Digital Solutions Across Federal Agencies
08/21/2025
Ep. 267 Inside the Push to Build Smarter Digital Solutions Across Federal Agencies
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In 1987 Microsoft introduced PowerPoint, it is one of the few applications that has endured almost four decades! Today, we look at some options that incorporate more flexible ways to innovate. Charles Firey from Excella provides listeners three ways to make a transition from PowerPoint to modern applications. He discusses setting temporary instances of a modification, making sure this approach is consistent, and where to look for opportunities to apply this dynamic method. Sandbox. Instead of worrying about managing sensitive data, create a sandbox or synthetic data environment to enable quick concept demonstrations without compromising security or compliance. Once a federal leader can see the proposed solution, iterations can take place in a more effective manner. Consistent. Once the concept of a “sandbox” has been established, think about federal security considerations. Develop a consistent approach for creating prototypes that align with production-ready compliance requirements that include protecting data at rest and data in transit. Opportunities - Identify opportunities to incorporate rapid prototyping as part of the method. Not every technical problem can be solved with improving interactions with websites; however, many areas can be helped if you know how to apply an iterative approach to software development. Charles notes that Excella uses synthetic data and consistent workflows to ensure prototypes align with production standards. The conversation also touches on the cost-effectiveness and future potential of AI-driven prototyping in federal projects.
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Ep. 265 Fortreum’s Cybersecurity Foundation for Digital Security
08/14/2025
Ep. 265 Fortreum’s Cybersecurity Foundation for Digital Security
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In boardrooms across America, members are slowly starting to notice the proliferation of cyber-attacks. It is one thing to recognize the danger, quite another to do something about it. Board members may ask, how does a company’s risk profile compare to others? What is a reasonable amount of money to budget for cybersecurity? What about company growth & change? Are there tools to use to approximate risk level? Today, Ben Scudera from Fortreum jumps feet first and answers the tough questions Ben admits that financial estimates are always difficult, he suggests a typical spend of ½ % - 2% of a company’s annual budget for a typical company. If you are in a regulated environment, perhaps one like a hospital or bank, you may need to revise that estimate. Risk prioritization will have to vary based on the circumstances of each organization. Some start at a weak baseline, others can be quite safe. Even if you are secure, what happens in the future is your company acquires another? What about drastic growth in sales and plant expansion? How to keep up with new attack vectors? Ben’s goal is to provide an understanding of the threat without any scare tactics. One approach is to use a guideline from Fortreum’s Cyberfoundation that includes eighteen metrics. This view allows leaders to prioritize remediation efforts. He highlights the importance of continuous risk management and education to combat evolving threats like ransomware and phishing attacks. Here is a link to the guidelines from Fortreum:
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Ep. 264 How Automation is Accelerating Digital Transformation Across Federal Agencies
08/08/2025
Ep. 264 How Automation is Accelerating Digital Transformation Across Federal Agencies
Ep. 264 How Automation Is Accelerating Digital Transformation Across Federal Agencies Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In this episode of the Federal Tech Podcast, host John Gilroy interviews Nabil Amiri, Vice President of Business Development for the federal practice at NWN. The discussion introduces NWN’s expanding role in helping federal agencies adopt advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), as part of broader digital transformation efforts. Amiri explains NWN’s recent acquisition of Leverage Information, a move that brought deep federal experience—especially with defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies—into NWN’s already strong commercial portfolio. This merger allows NWN to deliver robust, secure IT solutions tailored to the complexities of federal requirements such as FedRAMP, STIGs, and Zero Trust. He emphasizes that innovation and compliance can—and must—coexist in the federal space. The conversation touches on the real-world challenges federal agencies face, like outdated systems, budget cuts, workforce reductions, and tool sprawl. Amiri critiques the proliferation of “single panes of glass” in IT environments, which often complicate rather than simplify operations. NWN’s strength lies in delivering visibility across systems, reducing complexity, and enabling security and automation through integrated, scalable platforms. Key themes include Zero Trust architecture, infrastructure modernization, automation, and streamlining tech procurement. NWN’s flexible acquisition pathways (e.g., via GSA and SEWP contracts) make it easier for agencies to respond quickly to crises like COVID or cyberattacks. On AI, Amiri emphasizes its role in real-time data analysis to improve visibility and prevent outages, critical for mission continuity. NWN remains vendor-neutral, working with a broad ecosystem of partners to deliver best-in-class, mission-focused outcomes. Looking ahead, Amiri confidently predicts that AI will become foundational to all federal IT strategies, driving operational resilience and transformation in the next five years. The interview sets the stage for deeper dives into emerging topics like agentic AI and cloud-native strategies in future discussions.
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Ep. 263 How Microsoft Drives Cloud-Powered Transformation in Federal Agencies
08/07/2025
Ep. 263 How Microsoft Drives Cloud-Powered Transformation in Federal Agencies
Ep. 263 How Microsoft Drives Cloud-Powered Transformation in Federal Agencies Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Microsoft has been a behemoth in the world of information technology since its founding in 1985. The only way to understand how Microsoft can impact the federal government is to take a topic like AI and conduct a thorough analysis. Today, we sat down with Wole Moses, the Chief AI Officer for Microsoft Federal. He shares his perspective on how Microsoft's innovation can help federal agencies achieve their ambitious goals. Essentially, we discuss AI's role in cyber threats, legacy infrastructure, and compliance. Moses explains that Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, is integrated into various products to enhance productivity. He emphasizes the importance of a strategic approach to AI, aligning projects with agency missions and goals. Moses discusses the potential of AI to modernize legacy systems and processes, improve cybersecurity, and support software developers. In AI, multimodal refers to a system that utilizes text, images, audio, and even video. He also highlights the need for multimodal AI to expand communication capabilities and the importance of compliance with frameworks like FedRAMP and NIST RMF. Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes?
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Ep. 262 How Qualtrics Is Powering Better UX Across Federal Websites
08/06/2025
Ep. 262 How Qualtrics Is Powering Better UX Across Federal Websites
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Today, we discuss the importance of user experience for federal websites with guests Amanda Chavez and Rishi Vajpayee from Qualtrics. The expansion covers topics such as cost savings, automation, and the impact of unstructured data on how websites provide information. COST SAVINGS Older systems in the federal government may have been designed to optimize for one function. When new administrations are elected, it is possible that alterations can be made, and the existing system can lead to inefficiency and slow data utilization. During the interview, Amanda Chavez details how a company like Qualtrics can help federal leaders understand friction points. This is especially effective when making a transition to the cloud. Bottlenecks are identified, and the remedy is provided, enabling the complete flexibility of the cloud to be leveraged. AUTOMATION Federal agencies are encouraged to do more with less. Automation can provide the solution to this challenge. Frequently, self-service channels can provide information to citizens faster and more reliably than a traditional human in a call center can. UNSTRUCTURED DATA Rishi Vajpayee discusses some of the weaknesses in how surveys about web experience have been conducted. He notes that unstructured data, such as text, email, and feedback, provides a much richer and deeper understanding of how to enhance a website's effectiveness. Qualtrics' upcoming federal summit in August aims to address these issues and improve service delivery. The Qualtrics Federal Summit event in August 2025 will discuss improving the federal website.
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Ep. 261 Technology's Role in Improving Force and Well Being
07/29/2025
Ep. 261 Technology's Role in Improving Force and Well Being
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The current administration has a focus on reducing costs while also improving the delivery of goods and services. When it comes to handling data, innovations in code generated by artificial intelligence have enabled this remarkable goal. The challenge arises when transitioning from the data center to the hospital. " Fail early" may be a mantra for a software developer, but in a healthcare situation, it is unacceptable. Today, we sat down with two executives from Phillips and explored the value of applying mobile technology to reduce cost and enhance patient outcomes in hospitals. Both gentlemen are military veterans, and the focus of the discussion is the Department of Veterans Affairs, which operates 170 medical centers and employs over 470,000 staff members. When examining the population of veterans, we can see that it has a wide distribution in rural areas. This can mean long trips for patients to get care. During the interview, we look at wearable devices that can provide information to physicians to help make treatment decisions. These can provide real-time health monitoring to act as an "early warning" system for patients. For example, it can detect signs of infectious diseases before symptoms appear. Advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence enable Phillips to develop a risk score calculation that reduces exposure to vulnerable populations. Explore opportunities to further deploy Philips' within the VA healthcare system.
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Ep. 260 How Akamai can make the Internet work better by preventing ransomware.
07/24/2025
Ep. 260 How Akamai can make the Internet work better by preventing ransomware.
Want to listen to other episodes? In 2018, ransomware was a quaint little cyberattack. Suddenly, the first half of 2024 saw $459 million paid in ransomware. Everyone is being targeted: retailers in the UK, resellers in LA, and even the federal government can be included in the target for ransomware attackers. Today, we sit down with Douglas Holland to see what role Akamai plays in preventing these rapidly proliferating attacks. One of the strengths of Akamai is its ability to handle a wide range of internet activity, as Akamai processes 11 trillion DNS queries daily. This gives them a perfect perspective to identify troublesome sites and apply Domain Name Systems (DNS) to provide robust cybersecurity. Douglas Holland puts this situation into perspective by noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people started using VPN technology, making systems vulnerable to phishing attacks. He notes the rise of ransomware-as-a-service and phishing-as-a-service, emphasizing the importance of employee training and education. Holland also addresses the challenges of VPNs and remote desktop security, advocating for zero-trust architectures and multi-factor authentication. The interview ends with discussing the role of AI and machine learning in Akamai's threat protection.
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Ep. 258 Why CMMC Compliance is now Non-Negotiable for Tech Leaders
07/22/2025
Ep. 258 Why CMMC Compliance is now Non-Negotiable for Tech Leaders
Everybody knows the world of technology is changing on a massive scale; in the federal community, there is a similar seismic change, but it has to do with policy, not graphics chips. In 2020, the Department of Defense aimed to ensure its suppliers had a reasonable level of cyber protection and released the first version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). In subsequent years, CMMC became a “nice to have” rather than a mandate. COVID-19 drastically increased the number of remote users, federal technology was moving to the edge, and malicious actors continued to expand their attacks unremittingly. As a result of this “Perfect Storm,” regulators at the DoD have gotten serious about CMMC compliance. In today’s interview, we sat down with two CMMC experts and discussed some of the challenges associated with completing the CMMC requirements. Fortreum’s Ben Scudera mentions that as many as 300,000 companies may be looking at CMMC compliance. While individual companies can read the requirements, there can be misunderstandings. For example, if a company tries to define Controlled Unclassified Information, it may cast too wide a net or too narrow a net. If they are audited, the entire concept of scoping CUI can become a holdup for certification. Early versions of CMMC allowed companies to review their capabilities and report themselves. Today’s CMMC transition is from self-attestation to external audits. These audits are challenging, with only 70 C3PAOs available to support 80,000 companies that require level 2 compliance. The process is complex, requiring detailed data scoping and significant preparation time. Companies must strike a balance between the costs and benefits of compliance, particularly for small businesses. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of CMMC for supply chain security and the potential for CMMC to evolve beyond federal contractin
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Ep. 259 How Federal Tech Leaders Can Streamline Procurement Amid Rapid Change and Licensing Complexity
07/17/2025
Ep. 259 How Federal Tech Leaders Can Streamline Procurement Amid Rapid Change and Licensing Complexity
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? According to Forrester, 48% of organizations have more than one hundred tools in a typical toolchain. How many are not being used? How many duplicates are there? How many can remove abilities in other tools? When you deal with a company, they are getting paid to focus on their solution and ignore others. When you deal with a reseller, they have biases, respond to changes quickly, and understand the complexities of vendors in “swim lanes,” which can include competitors. Today, we sit down with Sam O’Daniel, the President and CEO of TVAR. The conversation ranged from selection of the correct tool to procurement and licensing models. For example, in a recent interview, Scott Rose from NIST talked about modern technology that may include IPv6. The sad news is that it prevents scanning address blocks because it cannot scan all the addresses that IPv6 covers. TVAR collaborates with numerous vendors and is familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each. Additionally, he understands which vendors work well together and respects the concept of their “swim lanes” in the context of federal technology. A typical federal leader cannot spend five hours a day keeping up with modern technology; resellers must maintain updated knowledge, which they can provide federal agencies with a perspective that few have. The conversation also addresses the challenges of procurement and the need for tool consolidation to minimize government waste.
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Ep. 259 How AI-Driven Engineering Is Accelerating Digital Transformation in Federal Systems
07/15/2025
Ep. 259 How AI-Driven Engineering Is Accelerating Digital Transformation in Federal Systems
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Artificial Intelligence can dazzle people to the point where they lose focus on the objectives of the federal agency. In today’s interview, Adam Lurie from Knexus begins by discussing a corporate strategy that combines research and innovation with engineering. This approach has been consistent over decades of serving the federal government. One stellar example of this fusion was their success in the $919 million 10-year Supply Chain Risk Illumination Professional Tools and Services (SCRIPTS) Blanket Purchase Agreement from the GSA. One of the challenges in “applied” AI is the data itself. Often, particularly in the federal government, there are strict rules governing the handling of data. We have all heard about the encryption of data at rest and data in transit. Given this limitation, it may be challenging to establish an iterative process that optimizes security and reliability. The answer from Knexus is to use synthetic data to emulate an actual sensitive federal data set. That way, several methods can be used to rapidly identify foreign influence, monitor vendor integrity, and visualize complex risk management scenarios. This innovation enables developers to optimize the security of a supply chain, taking into account variations that incorporate modern technologies and adapt to emerging threats. A key partner in this creative approach is Google. Knexus was recently named 2025’s Google Cloud Business Application Partner of the Year for Government. Retaining security while innovating will be the key to applying AI to solve federal business needs now and in the future.
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Ep. 257 How Native AI-First Strategies Are Simplifying Federal Tech Compliance
07/11/2025
Ep. 257 How Native AI-First Strategies Are Simplifying Federal Tech Compliance
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Fifteen years ago, Vivek Kundra began the “Cloud First” policy in the federal government. It took five years for people beginning to talk about “cloud native” applications. In other words, instead of a lift and shift to the cloud, developers could take advantage of the cloud’s capabilities resulting in increased agility, scalability, and resilience. Well, here we are in 2025, and it sure looks like the early days of cloud computing. Lots of dazzling, but few people know how to leverage efficiency, speed, and personalization of AI. Today, we sat down with Sri Iyer, CTO and Co-founder of a company called KOVR.AI. Finally, he presents to listeners how AI can be applied to the tedious process of federal certification. We look at the complex process of CMMC. One aspect of CMMC is CUI. It does sound simple, but if a company over scopes or under scoped CUI it can make for difficulty in completing the certification. Further, assets are changing all the time. How can a company provide a detailed report of its assets at a specific moment in time? Next, the employees in a typical federal contractor are billing 40 hours a week. Is a business owner supposed to pull people off a revenue-generating position to complete CMMC tasks? Finally, what about the companies who supply the DIB? In a normal supply chain, more than just the company seeking CMMC is part of the puzzle. Listen to the interview to see how the innovation Sri Iyer can be applied to making the CMMC process faster and easier to document. Iyer emphasizes the importance of proper documentation and training for CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) and offers practical advice for companies to prepare for CMMC, including creating an inventory of IT systems and vendors, and seeking expert help.
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Ep. 255 How Digital Asset Tracking Drives Federal Mission Success
07/09/2025
Ep. 255 How Digital Asset Tracking Drives Federal Mission Success
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Zebra Technologies is the best-kept secret in town. The reason is simple: Zebra Technology has been in business for 55 years and has achieved an impressive amount of success in the commercial world. Jan states that 80% of Fortune 500 companies rely on Zebra for asset tracking. Yet, if one were to walk through a federal technology trade show, one would never identify Zebra. In today’s interview, we focused on how Zebra Technologies has had a relentless focus on replacing pen-and-paper systems with modern technology. One unexpected benefit of streamlining asset tracking is the reduction in time to prepare reports. Jan Ruderman states that audit preparation can be reduced from eight hours to twenty minutes. Federal technology leaders are drowning in data, much of which is generated by devices such as Operational Technology under the control of Information Technology. Logistics management is the only way to get control of a rapidly changing system. The real lesson is an application of commercial success to the needs of a federal government that is increasingly operating at the edge.
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Ep. 254 How QTS Is Powering Digital Transformation for Federal Data Centers
07/01/2025
Ep. 254 How QTS Is Powering Digital Transformation for Federal Data Centers
Seventy percent of the world's internet traffic goes through Ashburn, Virginia. That fact has led to the growth of over five hundred data centers in Northern Virginia. Today, we sat down with one of those companies to examine its data centers and its relationship with the federal government. John Reynolds is the Director of QTS Federal. He has decades of experience in federal technology and provides the listener with an overview of QTS's origins, its values, and recent growth. He views the data center business as a real estate endeavor. Land is acquired, a facility is constructed, and it has occupants. A company like Amazon Web Services have their dedicated data centers; QTS can house several different customers. We do not know the specific names; we can assume they are as large as Facebook and encompass federal agencies of all types. Facebook may require one set of standards when it comes to security, and the NIST provides guidelines for federal data protection, which QTS includes as part of its compliance. The company participates in the community and understands the impact of energy requirements and cooling for local communities. John Reynolds highlights the importance of resilience with multi-layered power redundancy and advanced energy contracts. QTS is also expanding into Europe and exploring alternative power sources due to grid limitations.
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Ep. 253 Managing Staff Cuts Without Compromising Code Security in Federal IT
06/25/2025
Ep. 253 Managing Staff Cuts Without Compromising Code Security in Federal IT
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? There is a whirlwind of change in federal technology. For example, Federal News Network has reported that 25% of the IRS technology staff have left. Additionally, funding has been reduced, data stores are increasing, and we are all trying to understand the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Today, we sat down with Phoebe Nerdahl and Sayed Said from SNYK. They offer solutions to address the challenges of changing technology in this environment. The approach from SNYK is to start at the beginning of the code development process, what is called a shift left. They discussed the need for a secure framework for AI adoption, leveraging Snyk's proprietary database and security research team to enhance code security. The conversation also touches on the evolving definition of AI and its integration into various applications. Snyk's AI Trust Platform aims to protect against insecure AI-generated code, emphasizing continuous security monitoring and automation. They have a vulnerability database, which enables them to review code for potential issues. Further, their platform can automate this needed remediation.
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Ep. 252 From Legacy to Lean: Innovative Ways to Lower Costs in Federal IT Projects
06/24/2025
Ep. 252 From Legacy to Lean: Innovative Ways to Lower Costs in Federal IT Projects
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Gregory Garrett, Chief Operating Officer at REI Systems, discussed digital transformation and innovation at the AWS summit in Washington, DC. He has a fascinating background that includes a career as a fighter pilot, the publication of twenty-four books, and guest lecturing at Georgetown University. The stated goal of today's administration is to reduce costs and eliminate waste. Today's aging systems are prime candidates for innovation. Unfortunately, there is no "innovation" button that a federal leader can press to have a variety of suggestions at their fingertips, allowing them to choose the best alternatives for improvement. He has applied all this experience in dealing with talented software developers by organizing a competition for new ideas. It is REI's "REI Innovation Competition," which generated over 100 white papers and led to a proof of concept for government agencies. From REI's perspective, digital modernization must address issues such as legacy systems, code revision, and improved code documentation. As a case in point, Gregory Garrett reviews the success REI has had in the federal grants management program. During the interview, he delves into topics such as quantum computing and interoperability. Listen to the perspective of a digital leader who can extract innovation and leadership out of highly skilled software professionals.
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Ep. 251 Breaking Through Bureaucracy: Modernizing Federal Systems in an Era of Digital Urgency
06/19/2025
Ep. 251 Breaking Through Bureaucracy: Modernizing Federal Systems in an Era of Digital Urgency
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Many of today’s archaic federal systems have been built over decades. As a result, they are perfected but also fragile. One obvious source of vulnerability is the workforce that created it. It is hard to believe that COBOL was released in 1960 and is still active in some federal systems. The individuals who developed the code for these systems are now long past retirement age. Some code was accurately documented, and some were not. As a result, the process of transferring to a newer environment is fraught with concern. Until AI, the only way to understand the underlying code was for a human being to review it line by line. Everyone realized that this process was so tedious and time-consuming that an informal policy emerged, essentially patching the system. They kicked the can down the road for the next generation. Well, AI is her. It has the unique ability to review code, identify problems, and provide solutions quickly. This will drastically reduce the risk of moving antiquated systems from aging code systems. Today, we sat down with Kartik Mecheri from Karsun Solutions and Alan Thomas, former Commissioner of GSA FAS. During the interview, they offered suggestions on how best to accomplish the challenging task of digital modernization. Kartik emphasizes the value of a platform like ReDuX. Utilizing Amazon’s Bedrock, ReDuX allows system developers to create a blueprint for the existing system. When combined with humans, this platform will save money on maintaining older systems and bring much-needed flexibility to new applications. Listen to learn how Karsun Solutions can reduce costs, increase flexibility, and improve efficiency in the process of digital modernization. The conversation also touched on the challenges of mission-critical systems, the role of AI in reducing risk, and the evolving job market, suggesting a shift towards strategic and innovative roles.
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Ep. 250 Can Your Agency Withstand a DDoS Attack? How Radware is Raising the Bar
06/18/2025
Ep. 250 Can Your Agency Withstand a DDoS Attack? How Radware is Raising the Bar
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? How do you defend your website against an attack that can reach one hundred million requests a second? The federal government is in an unusual position: in addition to the "garden variety" attacks, such as phishing and ransomware, it is also subject to political attacks with a specific agenda. Ostensibly, they do not have financial motivation; their motivation is a political statement. Welcome to hacktivism. The tool they use is a tried-and-true, good, old-fashioned Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. If you consult your history books and shake off the dust, you will find that the first DDoS attack was recognized in 1996. Advances in cloud computing and AI have been a force multiplier for malicious actors to shut down websites. In the past, the attacker would remain anonymous; not today. Today's hacktivist often claims responsibility for the attack and publicize their demands. It has gotten to the point where DDoS attacks are available to consumers as DDoS-as-a-service. Pascal Geenes has authored an article about a particularly nasty DDoS attack, appropriately called "DieNet." It attempts to instill doubt and chaos in a federal site. What is the defense? Pascal Geenes has identified vulnerabilities in APIs as a key attack vector. Many federal agencies are not aware of their API inventory. It is possible to scan a federal site, identify a flaw in an unused API, and leverage that knowledge to launch a DDoS attack. Radware's solutions, including AI-driven security, help mitigate these attacks quickly, reducing the mean time to resolution (MTTR). Heenan emphasizes the importance of being initiative-taking in cybersecurity. = = =
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Ep. 249 Securing Endpoints in Federal Systems Amid Constant Change
06/17/2025
Ep. 249 Securing Endpoints in Federal Systems Amid Constant Change
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Sometimes, one plus one is three. Back in 2021, McAfee’s Enterprise business merged with FireEye to form Trellix. Today, the net result is a company that generates $1.2 billion globally and $400 million in the public sector. In today’s interview, Ken Karsten details how federal leaders can use Trellix to improve cybersecurity in a federal world with rapidly increasing end points. Setting the stage, Ken Karsten reviews an Executive Order 14028 from 2021 that encouraged federal agencies to aggressively protect endpoints, sometimes called Endpoint Detection and Response. In four short years, AI has transformed the way malicious actors attack end points and the defense had to be improved. Enter, Extended Detection and response. During the interview, Ken Karsten gives listeners an overview of XDR’s continuous monitoring, advanced analytics, and rapid threat assessment and response capabilities. Advances in AI have allowed Trellix to deliver EDR and XDR capabilities at a drastically reduced cost. Topics in the discussion include Operational Technology, 5G, and Trellix’s recent DoD IL5 authorization. Provide a link to download the Trellix Cyber Threat Report.
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Ep. 248 Federal Efficiency Starts with Talent: What HR Experts Know
06/12/2025
Ep. 248 Federal Efficiency Starts with Talent: What HR Experts Know
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? If you are a regular listener, you know that I interview tech companies to have them elucidate the ways they can help federal agencies reach goals. Today, I will pull back the curtain and sit down with an HR professional from a successful company to understand his business and how he is hiring technical staff. First, Kentro has been in business for over twenty years and has a formidable reputation for ethical and responsible assistance in federal projects. Jun Choi is the Senior Vice President of Human Capital Services at Kentro. His company focuses on digital modernization, cybersecurity, and data and AI services. During the interview, Jun Choi highlights the importance of a growth mindset, adaptability, and practical experience over formal education. The focus is on growth because nobody has a crystal ball to divine what will happen in the next five years. If the past is prologue, Kentro will expand, but where? Procurement methods are rapidly changing along with technology itself. Many of the skills needed today were not taught in universities in the past. As a result, Jun Choi likes to discover whether a candidate has been in situations where a flexible mindset has been the key to success. He has seen college graduates with simply basic skills. Unfortunately, today’s AI can do all the basics easily. Humans need critical thinking when they understand the implications of a large language model. Choi remains optimistic about the future, predicting stabilization and innovation driven by AI.
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Ep. 247 Winning Federal Contracts: Smarter Proposal Writing for Tech Leaders in a Shifting Landscape
06/10/2025
Ep. 247 Winning Federal Contracts: Smarter Proposal Writing for Tech Leaders in a Shifting Landscape
In this episode of the Federal Tech Podcast, host John Gilroy sits down with Vishwas Lele, CEO and co-founder of pWin.ai, and Larry Katzman, President and CEO of Applied Information Sciences (AIS), to explore how technology leaders can write smarter proposals in an increasingly complex federal landscape. The conversation dives into the current state of the government contracting industry, including how shifting policy initiatives are shaping new opportunities—and new challenges—for contractors. Larry shares firsthand insights on how AIS is adapting to these changes, the role of pWin.ai RFP tool in improving proposal efficiency and win rates, and what lessons they've learned along the way.
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Ep. 246 Thales Powers Federal Data Security Against Quantum-Era Threats
06/10/2025
Ep. 246 Thales Powers Federal Data Security Against Quantum-Era Threats
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Years ago, the headline “Data Breach” was shocking; today, it is common. That may not be a problem for some, but the federal government maintains data stores that contain information about finances, health, and military matters. A recent report has shown that 50% of federal agencies have reported data breaches. It appears that it's time to find a solution. Today, we sat down with Blain Canavan from Thales Group to examine the usual suspects and the potential threats ahead. THE USUAL SUSPECTS: MFA: Protecting data can be accomplished with something as basic as phishing-resistant Multi-Factor Authentication. The first step in identity management can significantly reduce threats. Encryption: Deploying encryption can protect data at rest, in transit, and memory. Keys to the Kingdom: Little-known methods of managing the PKI system can help reduce risk in protecting data. THEAT DOWN THE ROAD: QUANTUM Now that you have checked the boxes for basic data protection, it is time to get a grasp on what lies ahead. We have read about quantum cryptography for twenty years. Today, we have pre-standardized quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms available. One needs to take action a little sooner. During the interview, Blair Canavan highlights the proactive measures taken by the US federal government, including the implementation of PQC-safe digital signatures by 2025. The “down the road” also has a delimitation -- Blair emphasizes the urgency of replacing outdated cryptographic methods, such as RSA and ECC, by 2030 and 2035, respectively. Include the 2024 data threat report. = ==
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Ep. 245 Women in Technology Leadership Awards for 2025
06/05/2025
Ep. 245 Women in Technology Leadership Awards for 2025
Today, we have a pattern interrupt. Instead of a standard 25 minute interview, we will sit down with five nominees for a leadership award from Women in Technology. Each candidate sits for a "lightning" round of eight minutes where they answer three questions about leadership and give their reason for participating in Women In Technology. In order to see who won, you will have to visit .
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Ep. 244 Unlocking Federal Efficiency: Cutting Costs and Boosting Security in LLM Development
06/04/2025
Ep. 244 Unlocking Federal Efficiency: Cutting Costs and Boosting Security in LLM Development
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Everyone is trying to figure out how to apply AI to federal problems—essentially, building large language models and trying to wring value from them. Inevitably, many are jumping into creating LLMs from various data stores. We are right at the point where consideration is given to managing enormous data sets in the federal government, emphasizing the need for operational efficiency and security. The hard lesson learned is data in transit, which means expense. Today, we will sit down with Dr. Ellison Anne Willimas to explore the potential of privacy-enhancing technologies to enable secure and efficient data use across classification boundaries and data silos. Dr. Ellison Anne Williams suggests a solution called Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET). It is applied to data as it sits in a silo, a data lake, or whatever nomenclature is used to describe large data sets these days. PETs allow the secure and private use of data across boundaries and classifications. She explains how PETs enable AI and machine learning models to be trained and used without compromising sensitive data. The conversation also touches on the cost savings from avoiding data replication and the potential for significant operational efficiencies. Explore the potential of privacy-enhancing technologies to enable secure and efficient data use across classification boundaries and data silos.
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Ep. 243 From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Boosting Federal Efficiency with Automation
06/03/2025
Ep. 243 From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Boosting Federal Efficiency with Automation
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Automation is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it promises greater efficiency; on the other hand, it can pose inherent risks, such as maliciously modified data, bias, and even data poisoning. During today’s interview, Mia Jordan from Salesforce offers a solution. She is an experienced federal executive with a long-standing involvement in the federal technology community. She has identified bottlenecks that can be solved with a structured approach that offers flexibility. Rather than grabbing any data set off the shelf, when the data has been curated, it can avoid many of the issues with creating specialized data sets. Secondly, a company like Salesforce may have seen similar processes and have a store of code that can solve an agency’s problem. Re-purposing code that has worked before in a secure environment is a way to accelerate solving vexing federal issues. The conversation also highlights the importance of collaboration and community within the federal government in enhancing efficiency and service delivery. During the interview, Mia Jordan reviewed Agentforce and gave guidance on deploying a process called Role, Knowledge, Action, and Guardrails.
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Ep. 242 Inside the SANS Institute’s Mission to Fortify Federal Cyber Defenses
06/02/2025
Ep. 242 Inside the SANS Institute’s Mission to Fortify Federal Cyber Defenses
Here we are in the spring of 2025, and the headline news is that the federal government is removing tech staff; at the same time, reports are coming in of thousands of unfilled cybersecurity positions across the government. Today, we sit down with a self-proclaimed “Cybersecurity Lifer” who will give the perspective of the SANS Institute on this dilemma. John Pescatore has been involved in federal cybersecurity since 1978. When he examines our current situation, he gives his opinion on training, skill level, and legislation that is being considered to address many of these issues. He mentions recent SANS studies that have suggested the issue is less about the number of openings than about finding individuals with a specific skill set required for a federal role. He discusses the evolution of cybersecurity training from hands-on courses to community college programs and the importance of practical experience. Pescatore also discusses AI's role in cybersecurity, noting its limitations and the need for domain expertise. He emphasizes the importance of rotating staff roles and providing continuous training to retain talent in federal agencies.
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Ep. 241 The Role of Augmented AI in Modernizing Federal Agencies
05/29/2025
Ep. 241 The Role of Augmented AI in Modernizing Federal Agencies
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? GitLab has been around for ten years and has garnered a reputation for helping federal agencies ensure compliance with stringent government standards. Today, we sat down with Joel Krooswick from GitLab to discuss some top-of-mind topics for the software development community: Agentic AI and the implications of applying AI to software development. Joel Krooswick explains that Agentic AI acts as unit taskers, managing specific tasks exceptionally well, such as code creation and refactoring. He emphasizes the importance of contextual awareness and security protocols to prevent malicious attacks. In a play of words, it was suggested that "artificial" Intelligence may be replaced by "augmented" Intelligence—GitLab's role in augmenting, not replacing, developers, and the need for real-time compliance checks. They also touch on the cultural shift required to adapt to AI's advancements, ensuring human value remains central in the workforce. Joel will speak at the Gartner Security & Risk Management and AWS Public Sector Summit in the Washington, DC, area on June 10-11.
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Ep. 240 Unlocking Federal Efficiency: How Process Intelligence Drives Faster, Smarter Government
05/22/2025
Ep. 240 Unlocking Federal Efficiency: How Process Intelligence Drives Faster, Smarter Government
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Everyone who has listened to a podcast about technology has heard the phrase, “People, Process, Technology.” This is a model derived from a management consultant in the 1960’s. We have seen a lot of focus on technology, a smattering of attention given to people, almost no concern with the process itself. Today’s interview with Aubrey Vaughn, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Celonis, to discuss process intelligence over artificial intelligence. Instead of a technical description, Aubrey shares a story about saving $10 billion in improper payments and emphasizes the importance of understanding why processes fail. Aubrey explains that process intelligence is the backbone of business operations, simplifying and improving efficiency. One approach to evaluating a process is to make a duplicate of it and analyze the processes apart from the operation. Some call this making “digital twins.” He highlights the role of digital twins in creating a complete blueprint of organizational processes. During the interview, Aubery Vaughn provides information about the "Process Intelligence Day" event in September 2025 to the audience, including details on the location, agenda, and how to register. events in September will offer educational sessions and CPE credits on process intelligence.
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Ep. 239 Boosting Federal Cybersecurity with Agentless Observability
05/20/2025
Ep. 239 Boosting Federal Cybersecurity with Agentless Observability
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? AFCEA’S TechNet Cyber conference held in Baltimore, Maryland was the perfect opportunity to sit down with Bryan Rosensteel, Head of Public Sector Marketing at Wiz. Wiz is the “new kid on the block,” and it has had tremendous growth. During the interview, Bryan Rosensteel shows how agentless approaches can improve visibility and assist with compliance. We all know how complexity has infiltrated federal technology. We have the usual suspect of Cloud Service Providers, hybrid clouds, private clouds, and, if that was not complicated enough, alt-clouds. As a result, it is almost impossible to get a “bird’s eye” visibility to provide cyber security. Two main ways have been proposed to secure this much-desired system’s view. Agent. One approach is to put a bit of code on each device, called an “agent” method. It is good for granular control, but can slow down a scan and must be maintained Agentless. Bryan Rosensteel from Wiz describes something called a “agentless” method to gain visibility into complex systems. This method leverages infrastructure and protocols to accomplish the scanning objective much faster. Bryan Rosensteel states that in a world of constant attacks, this faster method allows for rapid updates to threats. Beyond better observation, an agentless method, like the one provided by Wiz, allows for compliance automation, continuous monitoring, and sets the groundwork for effective Zero Trust implementation.
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Ep. 238 How Federal Agencies Can Achieve Cyber-Resilient Data Protection and Recovery
05/15/2025
Ep. 238 How Federal Agencies Can Achieve Cyber-Resilient Data Protection and Recovery
AFCEA’S TechNet Cyber conference held in Baltimore, Maryland was the perfect opportunity to sit down with Greg Carl, Principal Technologist from Pure Storage. Pure Storage is used by 175 federal agencies. Time to sit down from a subject matter expert and explain their value proposition. Today’s federal government is attempting to accomplish digital modernization through a move to the cloud and, at the same time, reduce staff. To multiply the risk associated with this endeavor, we see an increase in cyber attacks on data at rest, in transit, and while in use. Greg Carl drills down on how Pure Storage can help federal leaders in several areas, he begins with Retrieval Augmented Generation, RAG. People have jumped into AI without knowing how to structure a large language model, the popular LLM. RAG focuses on text generation and tries to make sure the data collected is accurate, relevant, and contextually aware. Pure Storage asks, if RAG protects the results of a query, what protects the “Retrieval” part of RAG. We know LLMs are being attacked every day. Malicious code could be placed in a LLM, and the RAG system might not know. A decade ago, backups were child’s play. A server down the hall, a backup appliance. Today, one needs an agile cloud solution to perform continuous backups in a hybrid world. One way to gain resilience is to use immutable backups where the attacked system can be restored and not lose valuable time. Speed and security handling important data activities can reduce costs for federal leaders by improving accuracy of LLMs and speed the time to recover after an attack. Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes?
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