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. 282 the Hidden Cyber Gaps Threatening America’s Digital Infrastructure
11/21/2025
Ep. 282 the Hidden Cyber Gaps Threatening America’s Digital Infrastructure
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? In a recent report from Microsoft, they share that foreign adversaries are increasing attacks on American infrastructure. One variation is that they will not penetrate systems and attack, but they will steal credentials and install code to act in stealth mode. This code can hide for years and be deployed when the antagonist wants. Today, we sat down with Travis Roseik from Rubrik to try to find some options for defending against this hidden attack. Let us say an agency has improved its resistance to foreign attacks. This is satisfactory progress, but what happens in a situation where the malicious code was planted prior to the increased defense. Further, during the interview, Roseik states that companies may be able to leverage AI to improve defense, nation states will be using that same AI to improve attack methods. If malicious code is within the walls of an organization, whether by AI or user error, Roseik makes the point that a defensive posture may not be enough in today’s sophisticated world of attack. He recommends moving from a defensive approach to an initiative-taking threat hunting strategy. Even if Zero Trust and threat hunting fail, the best response is to have immutable backups. For example, if a breach occurs and the system recovers quickly, then the attackers will go after more vulnerable targets. The conversation underscores the urgency for organizations to adapt and innovate to counteract these threats.
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Ep. 283 Smarter, Scalable Threat Hunting to Protect Federal Data
11/19/2025
Ep. 283 Smarter, Scalable Threat Hunting to Protect Federal Data
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The federal government recognizes that threats are multiplying at an exponential level. In fact, in October 2025, CISA released a free vulnerability scanner, and 10,000 organizations have signed up. Today, CISA is at its current capacity. Today, we examine solutions from a successful startup called CrunchAtlas. One of the co-founders, Ben Fabrelle, will share with the audience his experience in threat hunting in the federal government and why he combined with another veteran to form a company that can assist in threat intelligence, data analysis, and automation. During the interview, Fabrelle says that CrunchAtlas likes to attack “wicked” complex problems. One of the most complicated problems the federal government has is identifying threats in a world where the DoD is being attacked by malicious actors every day. Fabrelle suggests that the solution is a persistent cyber-hunt platform. It can search for threats in a wide range of environments. This means it can be deployed on-prem, in the cloud, or in an air-gapped environment. The founders view that a platform approach is the best way to scale against these adversaries. One of the key differentiators for CrunchAtlas is its ability to operate in the cloud, on-prem, and even in an air-gapped environment. In fact, their offering’s code stack, from design, operates in an air-gapped environment. Automation in this kind of environment will allow for a reduction in false positives, which will, in turn, reduce fatigue and decrease the need for human threat hunters.
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Ep. 280 How Zero Trust Automation Helps Federal Agencies do More with Less
11/06/2025
Ep. 280 How Zero Trust Automation Helps Federal Agencies do More with Less
Ep. 281 How Zero Trust Automation Helps Federal Agencies do More with Less Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? As this interview was recorded, the federal government was in the middle of a shutdown. Hundreds of pundits have given interviews about the politics of the situation; very few have looked at the impact on cybersecurity during a phase of workforce reduction. Today, we sat down with Gary Barlet, the Public Sector CTO at Illumio, to see whether Zero Trust can help the federal government bridge this short personnel gap. Barlet begins by giving an overview of Zero Trust and automation. Rather than having human beings vet entry into federal systems, the concept is to use an automated process that reviews credentials and decides on permission. Barlet emphasizes the importance of Zero Trust in automating security tasks and maintaining operational resilience, especially with reduced staff. He continues to mention several other benefits of Zero Trust in a federal environment. Compliance: A well-thought-out Zero Trust architecture will enable managers to collect data to demonstrate policy enforcement. Legacy: One can effectively take existing systems and “ring fence” them off. This approach creates hundreds and hundreds of rings of defense. Design: During the interview, Gary recommends that you have a handle on the real traffic to reduce complexity. That way, when policies change, the rules can adapt to the environment. Maturity Level: Although CISA has a maturity level for Zero Trust. Barlet distills down some of the requirements for which efforts can be applied to sensitive systems. He suggests focusing on security, not necessarily on a grade. Additionally, he addresses the challenges of managing complex, hybrid environments and the emergence of shadow AI models, stressing the need for robust policies and controls.
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Ep. 281 AI-Powered Application Risk Management
11/05/2025
Ep. 281 AI-Powered Application Risk Management
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Today, we sat down with Chris Wysopal from Veracode to talk about how to leverage the power of AI to increase productivity in federal systems. It seems like every headline you read talks about AI speeding up the process of writing code. However, there may be mixed messages here. Wysopan read some academic reports that talked about vulnerabilities being introduced in human code as well as AI code. Because this has been a concern for a while, He initiated the Gen AI Code Security report. They examined a wide range of LLMs to get a fair overview. They discovered 45% introduced vulnerabilities. What is even more shocking is this is similar to the rate from regular, old, garden variety software developers. You can get more details from the Veracode's 2025 Gen AI Code Security Report. It details methodology and notes despite improvements in syntax; security remains a concern. When he presented at a recent Billington Cyber Summit, he was deluged with people interested in problems with AI generated code. The overview is Implement a centralized risk management approach to prioritize and address the most critical vulnerabilities.
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Ep. 279 Avoiding Agentic AI Pitfalls in Federal Digital Transformation
11/04/2025
Ep. 279 Avoiding Agentic AI Pitfalls in Federal Digital Transformation
A recent study from Carnegie Mellon University is titled "AI Agents Fail at Office Tasks Nearly 70% of the Time." Federal agencies are adopting Agentic AI for the efficiency it can deliver. Unfortunately, many do not realize that Agentic AI is prone to operational risks, ranging from technical glitches to legal complications to accidental database deletion. When Agentic AI causes problems at a federal agency, there can be lives at stake. Today, we sat down with Travis Rosiek, Rubrik's Public Sector Chief Technology Officer. During the interview, he explores the federal challenges of implementing Agentic AI, building an Agentic AI inventory, and making Agentic AI visible, auditable, and reversible. CHALLENGES Everyone —from a systems administrator to an agency administrator —knows that data must be backed up. However, very few understand that Agentic AI is a collection of agents that can be attacked, just like a database. Rubrik offers the capability to reassure users that Agentic AI can be reversed if malicious actors enter the picture. STARTING POINT Most cybersecurity professionals agree that one starts by understanding a system's apps, data, and connections. Five years ago, it was easy; getting a grasp on what Agentic AI connects to is a much more intangible concept. During the interview, Travis Rosiek unpacks Rubrik's history and its unique ability to understand complex systems. CAREFUL In a rather shocking statement, Rosiek says one should approach introducing technology with the assumption that it will fail. This is not a pessimistic approach, but a nuanced understanding of how complexities in current systems can lead to unintended consequences. Rosiek advises starting with the end goal in mind, planning for worst-case scenarios, and building trustworthy AI architectures to mitigate risks and ensure reliable operations.
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Ep. 277 How Elastic Helps Federal Agencies Navigate Federal Procurement Modernization
10/28/2025
Ep. 277 How Elastic Helps Federal Agencies Navigate Federal Procurement Modernization
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Elastic has been around since 2012 and has been gradually gaining traction in the commercial world. In fact, Elastic has recently signed agreements with Nvidia and Google to improve integration with its distributed search analysis. All this assists with AI search and observability. Today, we sat down with Chris Thompson from Elastic to highlight how commercial success can be applied to the federal world. Looking back at his decades of work with federal agencies, he sees one of the problems in acquisition. In a world of rapid change, it is challenging to acquire technology that can keep pace with the fast pace of change. During the interview, Thompson discusses a recent strategic agreement developed by Elastic working with the GSA and other companies. This streamlines the process of providing technology to federal professionals. This agreement accomplished several tasks at once: >>It leverages the GSA’s collective buying power. Rather than negotiating separate prices for dozens of agencies, it has substantial discounts with all the major cloud providers. >>> It reduces duplication. We know several federal agencies are facing similar tech challenges. Rather than duplicating requirements gathering and testing before making a purchase, the GSA approach eliminates this duplicative process. >>With numerous AI tools flooding the market, this agreement enables the accelerated use of these tools. >> When you have standardized contracts, enhanced security is typically the result. No contract is perfect, and people who have developed this agreement know it is a living document that can flex and adapt to technical situations as they arise. GSA officials have stated this is an evolving approach, giving it the ability to adapt to innovative technology, new companies, and a rapidly changing cyber threat.
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Ep. 278 How to deliver Secure, Compliant, and Scalable Cloud Databases for Federal Missions
10/28/2025
Ep. 278 How to deliver Secure, Compliant, and Scalable Cloud Databases for Federal Missions
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? MongoDB has spent years earning a formidable reputation in the developer world; today, we will unpack some of its capabilities for project managers and federal leaders so they can understand where MongoDB may fit in their stack. Conventional wisdom is that MongoDB is a flexible open-source database. Although that is true, this does not do justice to some characteristics that will appeal to the federal audience. ONE: An agency may have restrictions on where the cloud is not suitable for storage. Because of its ability to use flexible, JSON-like documents, MongoDB has listened to those needs and can have storage in many varying regions. In fact, we have seen a movement to move cloud applications back on premises. MongoDB provides flexibility for working in both hybrid and on-premises environments. TWO: Most readers have studied encryption and think of it primarily as data at rest. Cloud storage transitions have forced a method where data is encrypted during transit. MongoDB can take encrypted data and search while it remains encrypted. Some will describe encryption at rest, in transit, and now, data in use. THREE MongoDB has listened to the federal community and is offering something called MongoDB Atlas for Government. It is a secure, fully managed cloud database service for U.S. Government agencies to modernize applications and oversee sensitive data. During the interview, Ben Cephalo revealed the effort MongoDB is making to serve federal agencies that require FedRAMP high capabilities.
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Ep. 276 Model Context Protocol, Agentic AI, and the Future of Federal Software Integration
10/23/2025
Ep. 276 Model Context Protocol, Agentic AI, and the Future of Federal Software Integration
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Many listeners have become so familiar with AI that they may have assumed it has been around for decades. Today, we sat down with Will Angel from Excella to explore the application of AI to federal technology from a more nuanced perspective. We dive into three main aspects of AI: challenges of integrating AI services, Model Context Protocol, and security considerations with agentic systems. Challenges: No company has grown as fast as ChatGPT; in fact, it is the fastest-adopted consumer application in history. Today, it has an estimated eight hundred million weekly users. This has attracted developers who work on federal projects. Wil Angel recommends careful consideration of people arbitrarily porting data to or from products like ChatGPT because it can compromise data security. MCP In certain circles, the term “Model Context Protocol” is used constantly. It has become so popular that people do not realize it was just coined by Anthropic in November of 2024. During the interview, Angel presents variations on MCP for software development and warns about the hype surrounding the relatively new standard for AI systems. Agentic AI Autonomous systems have been the holy grail for every software developer. The promise of Agentic AI is so powerful that some have jumped into applications without a more prudent approach. When a series of tasks is assembled, unintended consequences can come into play. It is one thing in the commercial world to reveal essential data; it is a completely different situation when the DoD is dealing with life and death situations. Angel predicts significant changes in AI over the next few years, with large language models revolutionizing software systems.
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Ep. 275 Securing Federal Data: The Evolution from Zero Trust to Least Permissive Trust
10/16/2025
Ep. 275 Securing Federal Data: The Evolution from Zero Trust to Least Permissive Trust
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Sometimes, the plow must go deeper. Current approaches to Zeer Trust implementation can leave gaps in security. Today, we sat down with Akamai’s Mike Colson to discuss the concept of combining Identity Credential Access Management with Least Permissive Trust. Setting the stage, Mike Colson details some of the challenges in the varying kinds of Zero Trust that are being applied in the Federal Government. The standard way of implementing ICM can result in assigning more resources than necessary, leading to permission creep and inflexible permission. Over provisioning: The amount of data being created is almost impossible to manage. A person may be given access to a data set they are not permitted to see. A “just in time” permission structure would help avoid that situation. Stale: Just because a person has access to a data set on a Tuesday does not mean he has access on a Wednesday. People can leave the workforce, be reassigned, or change roles. Access must be constantly updated. Static: Ron Popiel made the phrase, “Set it and forget it,” memorable. Unfortunately, this approach can lead to a permission structure that may limit access to key data. This may be considered under-provisioning, potentially leading to time delays in obtaining key information. Colson took the listeners through several iterations of access control, including Role-Based Access Control and Attribute-Based Access Control. On top of these old favorites, Colson discussed what may be called Context-Based Access Control, or what he calls Least Permissive Trust. Least permissive trust is a concept Colson outlined, which uses user behavior, device health, and contextual factors to grant permission dynamically. The conclusion is simple: not all Zero Trust is created equal.
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Ep. 274 AI-Driven DevSecOps: Accelerating Security and Modernization in Federal IT
10/13/2025
Ep. 274 AI-Driven DevSecOps: Accelerating Security and Modernization in Federal IT
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The impact of AI in software development in the federal government is so pervasive that, in July of 2025, the President of the United States released a White House AI Action Plan. Today, we sat down with Bob Stevens from GitLab to put this development into perspective, examine some use cases, and suggest methods that federal agencies can use to prepare for this technological shift. What precipitated the initiative is the recognition that change is occurring so rapidly in the world of software development that the federal government must adapt more quickly than in the past, or it will be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Stevens notes that the federal government has been targeting modernization, producing software faster, and being more efficient, for a decade. AI will help them get there, with some possible cost reduction. For example, in the past, a vulnerability may have taken weeks to discover. Utilizing AI allows federal software developers to reduce that discovery to minutes. That ties in with one essential element in the White House initiative: security. In fact, one of the pillars of the Action Plan is titled “Promoting Secure-by-Design AI Technologies and Applications.” Stevens has been involved in federal software development for decades and thinks that a platform approach best serves the essential objectives of this Action Plan. The conversation concludes with the potential for AI to streamline government processes and improve operational efficiency. If you are interested in learning more about the economics of this approach, you can download The Economics of Software Innovations: $750 billion Opportunity at a Crossroads.
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Ep. 273 Closing the $500B Federal Fraud Gap: What Federal Tech Leaders Must Do Now
10/09/2025
Ep. 273 Closing the $500B Federal Fraud Gap: What Federal Tech Leaders Must Do Now
Fraud rates in the public sector are estimated at 20%, compared to 3% in the private sector. Some estimate the loss to the federal government at over $500 billion. Today, we sat down with Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Special Services. He presents listeners with shocking statistics on fraud, shares personal stories, and offers suggestions to help taxpayers overcome this loss of money. FRAUD Talcove begins by noting the fraud rate in the federal government before COVID was a paltry 0.1%. No news there. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal employees were legally obligated to disperse funds promptly. They became more concerned about sending out money than maintaining precise accounting. PERSONAL STORY During the interview, Talcove recounts the story of how a bank teller defrauded his mother. He details the frustration in just trying to uncover the fraud. After many attempts, he collaborated with local police to discover the method of the attack. SOLUTIONS The fact of the matter is that an employee of AMEX has a strong interest in preventing fraud. In contrast, many in the federal government are more concerned about compliance with directives than avoiding loss. NIST has a recent update standard, NIST SP 800-64 Digital Identity Guidelines, but criminals move faster than federal regulations can keep up. The solution is obvious: to improve data sharing between government agencies. Next, learn from the private sector how to identify and stop fraud more effectively. What can a consumer do? · One credit bureau freeze closed. · Two informed delivery post offices · Three county alerts on title · Four text messages alert any transaction -- know quickly.
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Ep. 272 How Virtualitics Helps Federal Agencies Overcome AI Readiness Gaps
10/02/2025
Ep. 272 How Virtualitics Helps Federal Agencies Overcome AI Readiness Gaps
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? We are recording this at the Air Force Air, Space, & Cyber Conference. During the second day of the conference, General B. Chance Saltman, Chief of Space Operations at the Space Force, talked about a “focus on readiness.” Our guest, Rob Bocek from Virtualitics begins the interview by talking about the concept of readiness being applied to AI. In fact, Bocek recently did an in-depth discussion of this topic at a conference he led titled The Frontiers of AI for Readiness. Today, we combine some of the lessons learned from that gathering with some of the goals and aspirations that were given at presentations at this year’s Air Force Air, Space, & Cyber Conference. In a wide-ranging interview, Bocek comments on topics like guardrails, leadership, procurement, and collaboration. GUARDRAILS Even the casual observer will notice that AI will have an impact on the DoD. However, the DoD deals with life and death decisions daily and cannot be subject to data poisoning and LLM attacks. During the interview, Bocek commented on implementing guardrails when experimenting with AI. LEADERSHIP In the corporate world, leaders will justify a blind jump into AI with assertions like, “if they don’t jump in, their competitors will.” The DoD deals with much more than a profit and loss statement. Military leaders must step up with understanding the positives and negatives of AI, and lead technology experts into correct implementations. PROCUREMENT When General B. Chance Saltman was presenting nobody in the audience thought he would include acquisition reform as one of his three main points. He reinforced the concept of living in a contested world where adversaries can adapt quickly, and the American military cannot be held back by antiquated procurement processes. Listen to the podcast to get an idea of some of the solutions available for federal leaders trying to use AI in a responsible manner.
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Ep. 271 Nutanix on Cloud, Modernization, and Gen AI: Addressing Mission-Critical Challenges
09/30/2025
Ep. 271 Nutanix on Cloud, Modernization, and Gen AI: Addressing Mission-Critical Challenges
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Ten years ago, Nutanix exploded on the federal scene. By now, just about every listener has heard of Nutanix partnering with the federal government in a wide range of projects. Today, an update with Greg O'Connell from Nutanix. He demonstrates how federal agencies can leverage Nutanix's experience to achieve mission success across various cloud environments. During the interview, O'Connell gives a basic comparison of multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud. From his perspective, a multi-cloud environment includes one or more public cloud providers. A hybrid cloud enables a system that combines on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services. This allows a single, integrated environment, providing more control over access, compliance, and ability to connect with legacy systems. Existing applications and data always present a challenge in moving to the scalability and flexibility of the cloud. Nutanix brings to federal technology its ability to work with legacy systems in a system that has been evaluated over time. Most federal leaders may wonder what is taking place in other agencies. To that end, Nutanix provides an annual report on cloud activities. The 7th Annual Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index Report highlights that 94% of US government entities utilize AI, but 76% require infrastructure improvements. Liten to this podcast to get an update on innovation from Nutanix and download the report to gain a better understanding of activities in the federal tech community.
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Ep. 270 From Research to Results: How LMI Delivers Trusted AI for Government Missions
09/25/2025
Ep. 270 From Research to Results: How LMI Delivers Trusted AI for Government Missions
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Most listeners are familiar with LMI as a sixty-year-old nonprofit, providing logistics management services and related research to the federal government. Today, LMI is a for-profit organization that leverages its decades of experience to gain a competitive advantage in understanding use cases where AI can reduce costs, enhance security, and facilitate the analysis of unstructured data. An engagement with LMI does not begin with clients explaining federal regulations; it starts with mission-ready products and platforms that are built on a deep understanding of the need for trust, transparency, and compliance. During the interview, Bettina Koleda explains that the federal government is getting pressured to do more with less. Additionally, because of the importance of the data inherent in many federal applications, users must trust that the data is not being compromised in any manner. LMI has developed a platform called LIGER that combines the need for reduced costs while maintaining compliance. Bettina Koleda explains how it can help translate mission goals into software requirements and continuously refine solutions through feedback from federal agencies. Kaleida is optimistic about the future of AI, believing it can help solve significant global issues if managed effectively.
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Ep. 274 How Fortreum can help protect executives
09/15/2025
Ep. 274 How Fortreum can help protect executives
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? It is difficult to pinpoint an exact number, but some statistics show an executive is five times more likely to be attacked than a regular employee. It makes sense. If you receive a suspicious email from a fellow employee, do not respond. However, if you receive an email from the CEO, you are more likely to react more aggressively. In today's interview, Richard Fleeman and Ricky Freeman from Fortreum Labs discussed the increased risk executives face, citing a 74% human error rate in breaches. How do malicious actors get personal information on an executive? Sometimes, leaders are too active on social media and, for example, post when they are on vacation. If an employee gets fooled, he may transfer assets online. Okay, we know ransomware is on the rise drastically, and companies are vulnerable – what can an executive do to prevent this activity? Richard Fleeman observes that once the money is transferred, it is exceedingly difficult to find a resolution. He suggests that prevention is the best approach. Start with social media and see if you are revealing your email or confidential information. Some call this oversharing. Multi Factor Authentication is a terrific way to limit access to your accounts. People often use the same password. Humans tend to repeat passwords. "Password spraying" can be used to break into accounts. Fortreum offers a service to help executives avoid these common pitfalls. They can start with publicly available data and then move onto the dark web. Ricky Freeman notes that attacks like the OMB breach often result in data for sale on the dark web. He has developed tools that enable the scraping of the dark web to determine if an executive can compromise sensitive information. Hard to expunge – easier to opt out Dark web. Even if your compromised information is extant on the dark web, you may not be able to do anything about it. Fortreum's services include manual testing, attack surface analysis, and dark web scraping to identify vulnerabilities and provide recommendations. You can get an idea of your vulnerability by taking advantage of guides to see if you are exposed.
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Ep. 269 Overcoming Cross Domain Barriers in Federal Security
09/09/2025
Ep. 269 Overcoming Cross Domain Barriers in Federal Security
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? The federal government manages a great deal of sensitive information that it is reluctant to share with other agencies or organizations. However, isolation means important decision-making data can be inadvertently withheld from leaders. The simple term "collaborate" can be easily applied in a classroom. Still, it becomes almost impossible with petabytes of data that have varying levels of security, such as classified, secret, and top secret. Even if the puzzle of sharing data is solved, the issue of data classification changes and data being attacked with malicious code remains. Sean Berg is the CEO of Everfox, a company that has spent the last twenty-five years solving this data problem by using cross-domain technologies. During the interview, Sean Berg discusses the role of AI in ensuring data integrity, the challenges posed by legacy systems, and the critical nature of data management in national security and digital transformation. Sean Berg moves beyond Cross Domain Solutions to Everfox's Content Disarm and Reconstruct (CDR) technology. With this approach, the document is opened and examined for malicious code, then copied. CDR is a tool for ensuring data integrity and preventing malware infiltration, allowing for safe and secure collaboration between federal entities.
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Ep. 268 Federal Tech Leaders: Key Digital Shifts to Watch at Google’s Public Sector Summit
09/03/2025
Ep. 268 Federal Tech Leaders: Key Digital Shifts to Watch at Google’s Public Sector Summit
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn Want to listen to other episodes? Sometimes, a company becomes so large that it is difficult to be specific about how it can help any organization, especially one as vast as the federal government. Today, we sit down with Ron Bushar, Chief Information Security Officer & Managing Director – Google Public Sector. We address many of the significant concerns federal technology leaders have regarding topics such as cloud-native, edge computing, and Zero Trust. This is a rudimentary overview of working with Google Public Sector. If you would like to connect in more detail, you can attend the free Google Public Sector event in late October. The focus will be on the investments Google Public Sector has made in AI and security. Ron Bushar begins the discussion by highlighting the benefits of transitioning to cloud-native applications. Modern applications demand availability anytime and anywhere. Emphasizing applications that can leverage the cloud provides scalability and security that are often lacking in older systems. Furthermore, when one combines cloud-native with AI, the result is a lighter-weight platform that can be used worldwide to support missions. This “anywhere” concept encompasses areas of the world that require remote access, which is increasingly referred to as edge computing. Google has provided international access since its early years, and it has the capability that can allow federal technology to be connected at the edge. Most federal security conversations today involve the concept of Zero Trust. Ron Bushar makes the point that Google was a pioneer in Zero Trust. Listen to the interview to hear about · 70% discount · Agentic AI · Hardening of Google · Gemini and federal applications Even better, attend the on October 29, 2025.
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Ep. 267 How Virtualitics Helps Federal Agencies Prepare for AI at Scale
08/26/2025
Ep. 267 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. 266 Inside the Push to Build Smarter Digital Solutions Across Federal Agencies
08/21/2025
Ep. 266 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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