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. 233 Boosting Federal Cyber Resilience Through Cross-Domain Solutions
04/22/2025
Ep. 233 Boosting Federal Cyber Resilience Through Cross-Domain Solutions
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The federal government needs to share information on a wide variety of platforms and must provide methods to ensure this transmission is secure. Of course, the hard part is the “how” part of this data transfer. Tim Fuhl from Owl Cyber Defense gives the listener an overview of how Owl Cyber Defense can help federal agencies share information securely. To accomplish this task, he discusses two fundamental concepts: diodes and Cross Domain Solutions. Diodes. This is a mysterious word that was liberated from electrical engineers. When designing a semiconductor, one may need to create a one-way path to prevent a signal from returning. The solution in electronic design is a “diode.” Owl Cyber Defense took an electrical concept called a diode, which provided “one-way” data transfer. When they combined this one-way street with a data path, they developed a “data diode,” a device that limits data transfer to one direction, protecting the system from a reverse movement. When it comes to securing federal systems, a “data” diode is a device that restricts data transfer one way, essentially creating a one-way street. Cross Domain Solutions. One of the newest abbreviations in the world of security is Cross Domain Solution (CDS). The federal technical world is comprised of levels of protection. As a result, what is needed is a way for communication between varying security levels. During the interview, Tim Fuhl defines both terms and gives examples of where this innovation can be applied to federal systems.
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Ep. 232 Unlocking SBIR: A Powerful Tool for Boosting Federal Tech Efficiency
04/17/2025
Ep. 232 Unlocking SBIR: A Powerful Tool for Boosting Federal Tech Efficiency
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In traditional commercial selling, a company seeks to understand its business problems and then presents a solution that would save time and money. Understanding federal requirements has a few more barriers than scheduling a meeting with the CIO. The federal government has security requirements and considerations few commercial companies can even consider. There are no effortless ways to understand system requirements for a company trying to break into the federal marketplace. This has been understood for decades. In fact, Ron Reagan decided to help small businesses understand their needs and provide some assistance. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established in 1982. The concept was simple: an agency would post requirements and look for a small company to get a response. If the proposal was favorable, some steps allowed further development and funding. During today’s interview, Tom Ruff updated us on the three phases of SBIR and provided specific examples of companies that have successfully navigated the process.
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Ep. 231 The Role of Quantum Computing in a More Efficient Federal Government
04/15/2025
Ep. 231 The Role of Quantum Computing in a More Efficient Federal Government
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Most people are so overwhelmed with the dazzle of Artificial Intelligence that they dismiss the power of quantum computing. Reality is the optimized solution for solving some federal problems involving artificial intelligence; other issues need to consider quantum. Today, Murray Thom puts the ability of quantum computing in a better perspective. For example, when it comes to aerospace maintenance, there are so many variables that classical computing is challenged to provide an answer. We all know that a traditional computer would use bits (0s and 1s). Quantum allows an approach that is not as linear and can provide faster answers to many questions. The crus of the interview was not a debate on the origins of quantum and Einstein’s remark about God not throwing dice. The debate is over—quantum work. Quantum computing can help the federal government find solutions to public sector challenges like optimizing public services, transportation networks, and defense. The core of this interview is whether your federal agency is looking for a problem that is too expensive or too time-consuming to solve using classical computing. It is possible to use quantum innovation to solve the problem more economically. Look at some success stories from D-Wave; they may provide an economic option for you. Download the D-Wave e-book “Transforming the Public Sector: Quantum-Powered Optimization” on the Carahsoft website.
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Ep. 230 How Senzing Strengthens Federal Cybersecurity with Smarter Entity Resolution
04/10/2025
Ep. 230 How Senzing Strengthens Federal Cybersecurity with Smarter Entity Resolution
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? It is a challenge for most technology companies to give a three-word summary of what they do, especially with the complexity implied with the phrase “entity resolution.” The CEO of Senzing, Jeff Jonas, gives a three-word summary of the complex issues they manage -- “bad guy hunting.” OK, what does this mean to federal tech leaders? Today, we sit down with Will Layton to learn how a topic like “entity resolution” can improve federal cybersecurity. During the interview, he gives an overview of how federal systems have evolved over the years and the need to understand the implications of automation. We know federal systems are, in general, moving to the cloud. This may be a private cloud, a public cloud, or even a hybrid cloud. Second, data ingestion has overwhelmed most agencies. As a result, many large-scale organizations are implementing automated tools, some call “agents” to become more efficient. Will Layton describes how humans need to be identified an automated tool, or entities, need to establish credentials as well. When a malicious actor tries to present like an entity in a complex automated system, Senzing can identify it and save federal leaders from unwanted actio
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Ep. 229 How Identity Proofing Can Help Federal Agencies Combat Fraud and Cut Waste
04/08/2025
Ep. 229 How Identity Proofing Can Help Federal Agencies Combat Fraud and Cut Waste
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? For many, IDEMIA is a relatively unknown company that was recently awarded a 10-year Blanket Purchase Agreement from GSA. The focus is on next-generation identity proofing for login.gov. At first glance, you might say “IDEMIA” is an overnight success. Upon further examination, you will discover that IDEMIA has served federal agencies for over 60 years. During the interview, Donnie Scott gives listeners a complete rundown on the variations on identity, identity proofing, identity management, and identity access management. He reinforces that rigorous identity-proofing can reduce waste, fraud, and abuse of federal systems. This is becoming a more complex problem. For example, technology enthusiasts are experimenting with so-called “agents” to access data, assemble it, and then attempt to draw conclusions. At each step along the way, there are gateways to verify the validity of the person (or non-human entity) requesting data. This interview offers a great perspective from a well-respected company that provides identity proofing to the federal government.
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Ep. 228 How Agentic AI Can Revolutionize Federal IT Efficiency
04/03/2025
Ep. 228 How Agentic AI Can Revolutionize Federal IT Efficiency
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Walking around the Salesforce World Tour DC can make you dizzy with use cases. Let’s step back and look at underlying principles. To boil down the massive information overflow, we sat down with Nasi Jazayeri from Salesforce to focus on improving efficiency by taking advantage of Salesforce agents. Automation. Federal employees will obviously be asked to do more with less. One way to accomplish this task is to structure a system where tedious decisions do not have to be made by humans. Tasks can be designed without human oversight to a specific level. Workflows. Salesforce is increasingly becoming a hub for data amalgamation. Integrating API into workflow can improve how systems can manage various dependencies. Compliance. This is one of Salesforce's superpowers. Everyone is trying to figure out where the best application of agents would be. Inevitably, mistakes will be made. Compliance is built into a system like Salesforce. You can evaluate several options without reinventing the wheel for each instance. Salesforce has many use cases for agentic applications, such as citizen service automation, healthcare administration, and interagency collaboration. Sometimes, general value principles can reinforce decisions made regarding agents and Salesforce.
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Ep. 228 Building Trust in Agents: How Salesforce Powers Secure AI
04/01/2025
Ep. 228 Building Trust in Agents: How Salesforce Powers Secure AI
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Federal leaders are walking a tightrope. They want to leverage the promise of AI; however, they are responsible for making federal data secure. Beyond that, these AI “experiments” should not negatively impact the larger systems and must have a detached view of practical applications. During today’s conversation, Paul Tatum gives his view on accomplishing this balance. He illustrates the idea of experimenting with AI through, of all things, avocados. For example, he acts as if he must document the process behind importing avocados. He shows how an AI agent can be used safely and provides practical information. The key here is “safely.” People working on federal systems are jumping into AI agents without concern for compliance or security. They run into the phrase “unintended consequences” when they access data sloppily, which can lead to sensitive information leaks. Rather than detailing potential abuse, Paul Tatum outlines the Salesforce approach. This allows experimentation with specific guidelines as well as for compliance and controls for autonomous agents. This way, the data to be accessed will be cleaned and not subject to misinformation and duplication problems. Further, because you are acting in the functional equivalent of a “sandbox,” you can be assured that information assembled from AI experiments will be placed in areas where they are safe and secure. Learn how to leverage AI, but learn in an environment where mistakes will not come back to haunt you.
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Ep. 225 How Cloudflare is Transforming Federal Security Through Interconnected Networks
03/27/2025
Ep. 225 How Cloudflare is Transforming Federal Security Through Interconnected Networks
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Most people know Cloudflare from federal or commercial experience. They have been around since 2009, and some will estimate that around 20% of all websites use Cloudflare for web security services. The listener's question is simple: can one apply this commercial success to improving federal network security? During today’s interview, Anish Patel from Cloudflare answered that question by directing his comments to Zero Trust, User experience, and automation. Zero Trust is a federal initiative that cuts across civilian and military agencies. Cloudflare can assist by providing access to applications and data by verifying every user and device before granting access. Because of their commercial success, Cloudflare realizes that an end-user experience can impact security at many levels. Simplifying the remote user experience will bolster security for everyone. With today’s massive data increase and constant attacks, users can get alert fatigue and not be as responsive to threats as in an earlier age. During the interview, Anish Patel details how automation from Cloudflare can reduce the amount of vigilance needed by end users to accomplish network security goals.
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Ep. 225 Why Identity is the First Pillar of Federal Security in the Digital Age
03/25/2025
Ep. 225 Why Identity is the First Pillar of Federal Security in the Digital Age
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Once the transition to the cloud became dominant, the importance of identity was placed ahead of permission to access apps and data. When data centers were down the hall, one could have physical access to a room and sign-on permission. The hybrid cloud, private clouds, and an interest in “alternative clouds” make identity the keystone of modern computing. Companies like Okta, Ping, and SailPoint work with identity and access management but rely on services that can provide a federated identity service. Today, we sit down with Dr. John Pritchard, the CEO of Radiant Logic, and learn that Radiant does not compete with these well-known vendors but provides the backbone for their service. Dr. Pritchard uses an interesting phrase: “continuous identity hygiene.” This means that although a person’s biology will not change, he can compromise essential elements of his identity. This must be a continuous process. This fact has been recognized by CISA and DoD’s 2027 Zero Trust Goals and can be identified as Identity Security Posture Management. In this thorough discussion, Dr. Pritchard presents a 30-year framework for network identity and includes comments on a unified data layer, data staging, and how to select a reference architecture for using a federated identity service.
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Ep. 224 Federal Cloud Cybersecurity: Key Differences Every Tech Leader Must Know
03/20/2025
Ep. 224 Federal Cloud Cybersecurity: Key Differences Every Tech Leader Must Know
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Many people deceive themselves when moving systems to the cloud, thinking the same precautions used for an on-premises system can be used in the cloud. Neil Carpenter from Orca Security dispels that notion right out of the box. He details that when a system is moved to the cloud, it operates under a shared responsibility model. While the Cloud Service Provider may be able to serve a solid infrastructure, that does not mean the applications and data are protected as well. Further, the popularity of virtual systems means that workloads can spin up and down rapidly. This means a one-time scan is just that: a photograph of a moment; only continuous monitoring can provide the reassurance that federal systems managers demand. While we know that cloud systems can scale rapidly, many do not understand that scaling also widens the attack surface. Michael Hylton from Orca Security recommends investing in a system that can provide continuous scanning in a dynamic environment. How is this accomplished? During the interview, Neil Carpenter defines agent vs. agent-less systems. When Orca Security established an agent-less system, it allows them to scan, speeding deployment and reducing the risk of coverage gaps.
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Ep. 223 Shifting Left in Federal IT: A Smarter Approach to Digital Transformation
03/18/2025
Ep. 223 Shifting Left in Federal IT: A Smarter Approach to Digital Transformation
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Today, we sit down with Karthik Natarajan, Solutions Engineering Manager, U.S. Public Sector, for SNYK. SNYK has garnered a formidable reputation in the commercial sector by helping to identify and fix vulnerabilities in code, open-source dependencies, and container images. Karthik Natarajan acknowledges that no code can be 100% secure; however, one way to improve by a magnitude is to incorporate the “Shift Left” approach. This phrase has been around for twenty years but has recently gained momentum. The concept of shift left moves testing and performance evaluation to an earlier part of the software development lifecycle. But SNYK goes further by applying AI to look at open-source dependencies. When infrastructure transitions to “infrastructure as code,” vulnerabilities may be included. SNYK also looks for vulnerabilities in infrastructure code. The interview ends with Karthik explaining that SNYK’s success is due to it being written for cloud applications- it is cloud native. Also, they judiciously use AI and rigorously check corrections to code that may introduce trouble.
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Ep. 222 Securing Federal Systems: How API Management Transforms Digital Security
03/13/2025
Ep. 222 Securing Federal Systems: How API Management Transforms Digital Security
The federal government is transforming from on-premises and private cloud systems to a hybrid cloud. What most listeners do not realize is that the linchpin to this transition is the Application Program Interface (API). It has been hiding under the radar for so many years that malicious actors use this perspective to attack the API. Info Security Magazine reports that 99% of organizations struggle with API security. Where to start? First, get an inventory of how many APIs you are dealing with. Stephen Ringo emphasizes the need for discovery tools to identify rogue and shadow APIs, noting that passive discovery methods are preferred to avoid network disruptions. He also points out that API security is often overlooked, even in cloud-native solutions, and that misuse, rather than malformation, is the primary threat. Ringo advocates initiative-taking measures to secure APIs and prevent data breaches. Three main ways to protect APIs: Educate and raise awareness about API security risks among federal CIOs and IT leaders. Discover and inventory all APIs, including rogue or shadow APIs, within the organization. Evaluate API security capabilities of cloud providers and ensure proper security controls are in place.
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Ep. 221 Measuring what matters: Evaluating Success in Complex Federal Software Projects
03/11/2025
Ep. 221 Measuring what matters: Evaluating Success in Complex Federal Software Projects
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? We all know the quote from Peter Drucker, "If you can measure it, you can manage it." It's pretty easy to apply when throwing a javelin but difficult when measuring success in complex software development projects. Today, we sat down with Jeff Gallimore, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and founder of Excella. He brings with him decades of experience collaborating with teams on successful federal projects. We start by noting the fallacy of using one metric to measure success. While completing the initiative on time might make an agency administrator happy, that will change rapidly if compliance is not achieved, and scaling will break the system into pieces. Jeff has seen breakthroughs using a framework called DORA, DevOps Research and Assessment). The key metrics are deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and failed deployment recovery time. These metrics, now part of Google, are research-based and predictive of IT and organizational outcomes. They emphasize the importance of a holistic approach, avoiding single-metric focus, and the role of leadership and culture in fostering high-performing teams
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Ep. 220 How Customer Experience Can Make or Break Federal Technology Initiatives
03/06/2025
Ep. 220 How Customer Experience Can Make or Break Federal Technology Initiatives
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The Partnership for Public Service recently conducted a poll, and just 23% of Americans believe federal services are easy to navigate. Today, we will examine the importance of User Experience and how to overcome some of the challenges federal agencies face when attempting to improve. Lisa Hoover is the Head of Experience and Design at Karsun Solutions. In that role, she has experienced all aspects of federal design. She begins by observing that customer challenges may be recognized but not remediated. She argues that there are several reasons for this standstill. Many federal agencies are dealing with legacy systems, and attempts to improve the CX can have unintended consequences. Further, qualitative improvement is difficult to determine in a world of bits and bytes. Sometimes, the ease of scaling data can make a system so complex that one does not know where to begin. Lisa Hoover recommends looking at Karsun Solutions' ReDuxAI offer. It leverages AI to establish a “blueprint” to see how everything connects, making digital transformation possible. Hoover also addresses the need for efficiency in federal IT, aiming to streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction. The conversation underscores the potential of AI to enhance federal service delivery.
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Ep. 219 Surviving Digital Disruption: How F5 Supports Federal Agencies
03/04/2025
Ep. 219 Surviving Digital Disruption: How F5 Supports Federal Agencies
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Here we are at the beginning of 2025, and Bill Church, F5's CTO, discusses the company's role in helping federal agencies navigate the complexities of multi-cloud environments and cybersecurity threats. F5's strength spans the application portfolio of enterprise organizations. This includes application security, enhancement, quick access, improved availability, and even making them secure. It doesn't end there; they also help with encryption and authentication. Church emphasizes the importance of flexibility and consistency in managing diverse cloud environments. He highlights the challenges of API discovery, noting that many organizations are unaware of the number of APIs in their systems. F5's tools, like the App Study Tool, help identify and manage these APIs. Church also discusses using AI and machine learning in F5's solutions for enhanced security and data protection, including an AI gateway for large language models.
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Ep. 218 Next-Gen Attack Surface Management: Strengthening Federal Systems in the Digital Age"
02/27/2025
Ep. 218 Next-Gen Attack Surface Management: Strengthening Federal Systems in the Digital Age"
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Matt Lembright, Global Lead of Censys Search, discusses the company's role in scanning the entire internet for threats, focusing on frequency, accuracy, and data richness. Censys helps government agencies and private organizations manage their attack surfaces by identifying exposed devices and vulnerabilities. The conversation highlights the challenges of securing operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, emphasizing the importance of understanding device protocols and maintaining up-to-date software. Lembright stresses the need for community engagement, local government involvement, and effective communication to protect critical infrastructure. He also mentions Censys' cybersecurity glossary as a resource for understanding key terms and concepts.
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Ep. 217 Inside Federal Digital Transformation: Key Strategies for Tech Leaders
02/25/2025
Ep. 217 Inside Federal Digital Transformation: Key Strategies for Tech Leaders
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? There is an idiomatic expression, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” Essentially, it means that some people are so focused on the details that they cannot see the bigger picture. Today, Bob Ritchie, SAIC's Chief Technology Officer, takes a step back and examines the evolution of federal technology from a strategic perspective. He argues that because digital transformation is so convoluted, leaders tend to focus on the details of a transition rather than the ultimate objective. He frames this analysis in terms of systems integration vs. mission integration. He explains that while systems integration focuses on integrating technology for better outcomes, mission integration emphasizes achieving specific mission outcomes by iterative learning and adapting to technological changes. Ritchie highlights the importance of aligning systems with mission goals and maintaining vigilance to ensure technology choices support these objectives. He also discusses the need for a mature approach to technology adoption, including the strategic use of legacy systems like mainframes and the importance of a standard data layer to reduce complexity.
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Ep. 216 Let us look at Open-Source Intelligence
02/15/2025
Ep. 216 Let us look at Open-Source Intelligence
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In spy movies, the federal government has unlimited funds for intelligence. In fact, it is always at its fingertips, no matter where it is located. Would it be so? In the real world, agencies have budgets that limit their ability to do everything from reducing fraud to ensuring the safety of a supply chain. One way to leverage the funds allocated for this task is to use Open-Source Intelligence or OSINT. During today’s interview, Jason English from Babel Street shares his thoughts on how OSINT should be a part of the matrix where federal agencies can get practical intelligence. He starts by defining OSINT, which includes search engines, social media, public relations, news sources, web scraping, data analysis, and, yes, the dark web. This information is freely available to everyone, which gives it distinctive advantages. First, classified information can be costly to obtain. Rather than limiting your information sources to one area, OSINT will provide a much wider range of sources quickly. Further, transparency is becoming a more prominent theme in technology—by definition, one can review the origin of any piece of information to assure its veracity. When it comes to collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information, OSINT provides benefits that answer many of today’s federal agency requirements.
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Ep. 215 Is Procurement the Key to Leveraging AI?
02/13/2025
Ep. 215 Is Procurement the Key to Leveraging AI?
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Technology comes and goes; you can call it the cloud, zero trust, or even Artificial intelligence. In early 2025, we see stress that we have not seen before. The GAO has issued a report examining the federal IT Acquisition process and concluding that it needs to strengthen oversight, implement a mature acquisition strategy, and have a capacity-capable system. Today, we sat down with Reid Jackson from Unison to discuss how to make these key acquisitions. During the interview, he discussed Acquisition Management, Cost Engineering, Virtual Acquisition, and Project Management. Unison has been involved in federal acquisition since 1984 and has a deep and thorough understanding of the procurement process. Reid Jackson relates that some newer organizations may have a superficial knowledge of regulations and may deploy software solutions that do not enable astute and effective decisions for federal agencies. During the interview, Reid Jackson from Unison overviews many aspects of these challenges.
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Ep. 214 An Independent View on Federal Technology
02/06/2025
Ep. 214 An Independent View on Federal Technology
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Bill Sullivan, an independent consultant with experience in federal technology, discusses the impact of the new administration's policies on federal projects. He advises federal employees to maintain professionalism despite the hiring freeze and emphasizes the importance of security standards, particularly in AI and data management. Sullivan highlights the need for government to adapt its acquisition process to keep up with technological advancements. He also compares the current AI initiative to the Kennedy space mission, suggesting it could improve energy production. Sullivan emphasizes the importance of security, especially considering global competition, and praises Elon Musk's systematic approach to change. Key takeaways: >>> Maintain a professional demeanor and continue working diligently despite the changes. >>> Monitor the developments around the $500 billion investment and its potential impact on energy and data center co-location. >>> Advocate for reforms to the federal acquisition process to enable faster adoption of modern technologies.
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Ep 213 What is the Role of Generative AI in the Federal Government
02/04/2025
Ep 213 What is the Role of Generative AI in the Federal Government
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? A recent SAS report shows that 84% of government decision-makers plan to invest in Generative AI in the next fiscal year. During today’s interview, Reggie Townsend details some of the precautions federal leaders must take to leverage this innovative technology. We begin the interview by mentioning that, in a governmental setting, technology cannot go beyond what is necessary to achieve a legitimate aim. Although that is a noble concept, it can be futile because we are in the incipient stage of this technology. We do not have any laws about using AI; we have a patchwork of national and international regulations on the ethical application of AI. We can start with the Executive Office of the President. In addition to other Executive Orders, President Biden released further guidelines his last week in office. While well-meaning, these guidelines are not practical when put into perspective of what is going on in other countries. Reggie Townsend indicates that AI Safety Institutes can promote consistency and a proper ethical response to using data from citizens to feed AI.
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Ep. 212 Making Sense of the Confusing World of AI & The Federal Government
01/30/2025
Ep. 212 Making Sense of the Confusing World of AI & The Federal Government
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Anyone with a pulse knows the new Trump administration has rescinded dozens of Executive Orders written by the previous president, Joe Biden. Executive orders #14110 and #14141, which dealt with artificial Intelligence, were part of this package. This has put the federal technical community in a state of expectation. On the one hand, they are charged with reducing costs by leveraging technology; on the other hand, they have a hiring freeze, and nobody knows what the new AI mandates will consist of. Today, we sat down with Jennifer Sample from EmpowerAI, a veteran of the tech wars, and asked her what direction developments in AI will take. Jennifer Sample reminds listeners that the federal government must consider privacy restrictions when applying AI to solving federal problems. Unfortunately, our near-peer adversaries have no such constraints. When the federal government attempts to apply AI, it does so inconsistently. The CIO Council may be able to list 1,700 federal use cases for AI, but the hard part is vetting the data sources and matching impact with agency goals. During the interview, Jennifer Sample discusses concepts like being AI ready, continuous qualification, and contextual governance. 2025 will force the federal government to do more with less; AI is a tool that can help accomplish that noble goal. If you want to hear a more in-depth discussion, she will speak at the Potomac Officers’ Club on March 12, 2025, in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia.
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Ep 211 Build Software Faster: GitLab
01/28/2025
Ep 211 Build Software Faster: GitLab
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? A recent study showed that the federal government has identified 1700 use cases for Artificial Intelligence. Today, we examine some challenges and solutions for unlocking the power of AI represented in these examples. Our guest, Joel Krooswyk from GitLab, examines Software Bills of Material, repatriation, and what efficiency might look like in the future. SBOM. For years, software developers have recommended using a Software Bill of Material. Today, its value has become so apparent that it is becoming mandatory. During the interview, Joel Krooswyk discusses the security benefits of mandating an SBOM policy for all federal software development. Fifteen years ago, Vivek Kundra coined the phrase “Cloud First.” It took a while, but cloud adoption is pervasive by the federal government. However, with this adoption, we have seen examples where cloud service providers may over-promise and under delivery. The interview provides guidelines for transitioning from the cloud back to the premises, which is increasingly called “repatriation.” Software development in the future will make compliance partner with DevSecOps in an automated process. This will reduce maintenance costs and provide real-time reporting. Intelligent automation will be able to validate each step of the process.
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Ep 210 Software Development and the Shift Left
01/21/2025
Ep 210 Software Development and the Shift Left
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? “Efficiency” seems like the new buzzword for federal technology in the next few years. When writing software sense, efficiency can mean writing code once and moving on to regular maintenance. However, we see security initiatives being mandated that cause developers to go back to previous stable systems and add code alterations to comply with new cyber threats. Even beginner efficiency experts will tell you the time and cost of operating in this manner can be expensive. Further, recording can add new bugs and risks, making the system more complex. Federal technology leaders from CISA have not lost sight of this. They have a “Secure by Design” initiative that addresses this issue. As in many tech concerns, the concern is how to accomplish this noble task. Today, we sit down with Nathan Jones from Sonar. He offers a solution that seeks to “shift left” the whole concept of security by design. His company provides systems that can review code to ensure its compliance. Further, he expands on an approach that can collaborate with developers while they write code. Nathan Jones gives listeners details about how Sonar’s Qube can be deployed on a server, in the cloud, or with IDE. The benefits are ample: lower maintenance, minimizing risk, and allowing a focus on innovation rather than rewriting code.
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Ep. 209 AI & and Proposal Development in 2025
01/15/2025
Ep. 209 AI & and Proposal Development in 2025
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? People are getting comfortable with Generative AI and applying it to many business areas. This widespread adoption shows many of the weaknesses of individuals misusing technology. It is one thing to settle a baseball statistics argument with GenAI; another complete application when competing for a million-dollar federal contract that includes management of sensitive information. These include biased outputs, lack of creativity, and misinformation, to name a few. Today, we offer a solution. Vishwas Lele is the co-founder and CEO of pWin.ai. He has decades of experience in federal contracts and a sophisticated understanding of applied Artificial Intelligence. He has seen the reliance on cliches and superficial language that can result in the inappropriate application of AI for proposal writing. His solution is to partner with Shipley Associates, a proposal writing company that has been in business for fifty years and has technology that can safely use AI. The result: pWin.ai. If you would like a more detailed explanation, consider attending a webinar on January 22, 2025
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Ep 208 Innovation with OSCAL, Federal Cloud, and Compliance
01/13/2025
Ep 208 Innovation with OSCAL, Federal Cloud, and Compliance
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Everyone reading this knows that April 15 is the dreaded day that one must pay federal income taxes. Big business has hordes of tax accountants and lawyers who do tax planning to accommodate federal deadlines. Sometimes, the deadline could be better known. Are you familiar with the OMB’s M-24-15? This will require companies to submit compliance information in a machine-readable format. Today, we sat down with Valinder Mangat from DRTConfidence. Valinder describes technology, deadlines, and approaches your company can use to comply. This interview will serve as a warning about an immense deadline that is crucial if you work with the federal government and cloud service providers. Essentially, NIST recognized that compliance done manually was time-consuming and subject to error. Back in 2016, they suggested OSCAL to streamline compliance. In addition to speeding things up, OSCAL allows for reuse without repetitive assessments. Whether you realize it or not, by the end of 2025, each federal contractor will be expected to provide compliance information in the OSCAL format, which stands for Open Security Controls Assessment Language. The other side of the coin is important to discuss as well. If you are an agency dealing with cloud compliance, you will be expected to be able to ingest compliance data in the OSCAL format.
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Ep 207 Federal Data, Fast Access, Security
01/09/2025
Ep 207 Federal Data, Fast Access, Security
Ep 206 Federal Data, Fast Access, Security Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? When it comes to technology, the founders of VAST Data can be described as “prescient.” In 2015, they looked at the problem of data management from a unique perspective. They did not want to call their company VAST “storage” but VAST “Data” because the problem they tried to solve was not the amount of storage but how to get instant and fast access to that data. The wave they rode was a combination of nVidia investing in graphic processing units and flash storage becoming more affordable. The result: VAST Data has grown to be valued at over nine billion dollars. During the interview, Randy Hayes details the value proposition of this innovation for federal projects. Their first customer was NIH, and they have built on that reputation ever since. Randy Hayes mentions that the current Zero Trust initiative begins with identification. Rapid, accurate authentication rests on fast access to data. Further, we have seen a resurgence in many organizations' migration from the cloud to on-prem solutions, mostly due to rising cloud costs and data sovereignty issues. VAST Data can provide efficient and quick ways to manage this data transfer. Innovation, dropping chip set prices, and understanding federal problems all allow VAST Data to assist federal agencies in accomplishing ambitious goals. If you want to learn more, VAST Data will attend the Nvidia GTC conference on March 17th in San Jose, California.
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Ep 206 An Argument for Enterprise Design
01/02/2025
Ep 206 An Argument for Enterprise Design
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Complex environments exist in commercial organizations and the federal government. In a typical fashion, humans resist change until an incident force restructuring. In this case, the change of design will be costly. During today’s interview, Nick Pesce says that today’s systems are burdened to such an extent that structural change should start now, when it is easy and less expensive, and then wait for an incident that will cause change. Both guests, Nick Pesce and Don Lamb, have experience in federal government change management. They work for the well-respected MITRE, home of the ATT&CK framework. As a result, they can look at a systemic problem and see the solution. Their report, Recommendations for Creating Cross-Agency Enterprise Design Specifications, details ways to make this change. They also detail user stories and use cases and how to manage requirements and proofs of concept. Their argument goes that when combined with understanding mission objectives, the existing information silos in the federal government can be overcome.
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Ep 205 AI = Data + Compute + Algorithm
12/23/2024
Ep 205 AI = Data + Compute + Algorithm
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Cybersecurity professionals like to talk about data “at rest” and data “in transit.” They never mention how exactly this concept of “in transit” takes place. Once upon a time, in a data center far, far away, one could take a database and move it easily. Kind of like taking a suitcase in your car and driving across town. Today, federal agencies are deluged with so much data, is it more like dragging your entire house across town? Moving data today involves concepts like data tiring. This is an approach where data is taken to a third place and transferred from there. Due to limitations of latency, network bandwidth, and compliance concerns, this is a process that can take way more time than can be imagined. You may have some highly compensated data scientists waiting days for a complete transfer. Let us take another scenario. What if your agency has some data stored in a specific cloud provider? It may be discovered that charges were higher than expected and the data need to be returned to the on prem environment. If not done properly, this transition can be fraught with issues. Further, many federal agencies are sitting a veritable treasure trove of data, both structured and unstructured. These could be images, text, email, or video. Pure Storage offers ways to derive value from a wide variety of unstructured data. structured and unstructured data. These could be images, text, email, or video. Pure Storage offers ways to derive value from various unstructured data.
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Ep 204 Understanding of the Landscape of Your Network
12/19/2024
Ep 204 Understanding of the Landscape of Your Network
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? We all know that in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. A couple of years later, a map maker named Americo Vespucci made quite a splash with a new map. This has a direct parallel with today’s information technology. Columbus really did not “discover” anything—it was there all along. When you look at an enterprise system, be it a bank in Houston or a federal agency, you may have only a hint of what is on your network. Who knows what kind of “ghost IT” has been added to your system? It could be a deliberate attempt by an employee to circumvent the compliance process; it could be a malicious actor who has entered your system. Today, we sit down with Tom Guarente from Armis, the “Asset Intelligence Company.” Armis can take a detailed look at your network and provide you with actionable information. On-premises networks, endpoints, data centers, cloud, and hybrid cloud = a wide range of potential presences on your network. During the interview, Tom Guarente emphasized the importance of putting this information in proper perspective. When an asset is identified, its relationship to other assets and its context is just about as important as the ability to detect it at all. Armis can assist federal agencies with understanding relationships and vulnerabilities they did not even know they had.
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