Cybersecurity is a critical component of organizational health no matter the federal agency. Yet, federal leaders across government are struggling to change culture, improve workflows and promote good cyber hygiene to prepare for the threats of tomorrow.

The Government Accountability Office’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity division assists Congress with assessing and improving the government’s critical IT investments and develops best practices that are used across the government to guide decision-making.

The division’s Director Jennifer Franks breaks down where agencies fall short in implementing cybersecurity recommendations and discusses ways that federal leaders can improve their cyber hygiene through better hiring processes, stronger cybersecurity requirements and promoting an inclusive and team-oriented culture.

Monitoring the world’s oceans and waterways is no simple task. 70% of the world is made up of water, and with millions of data points around the globe to sift through, human analysts cannot do the job alone.

NRL’s Alan Hope joins us to discuss how the agency is leveraging relationships with federal agencies and services like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Navy to track the positions of millions of shipping vessels around the globe.

Hope says that the NRL tracks over 400 million unclassified data points around the world daily, and his team is using AI tools to better identify shipping vessels — no matter where they are — that might be operated by bad actors.

NASA Chief Data Officer and Chief AI Officer David Salvagnini joined GovCIO Media & Research live from the Federal IT Efficiency Summit in Tysons, Virginia, to share insights into his dual role leading AI and data initiatives at the agency, including the development of NASA’s AI strategy and how it's being integrated with responsible data governance.

He also highlighted exciting AI projects currently underway around space exploration and mission support, discussed how he envisions NASA furthering operational efficiency and shared how he’s balancing risk and transparency with cutting-edge tech innovation.

Darnita Trower, former deputy CIO for Operations at the Internal Revenue Service, discusses her tenure at the agency and the resilience the workforce has shown through budget cuts, administration changes and difficult tax seasons. She said the agency is built to weather storms and is on a continuing modernization path.

Trower is an accomplished executive and digital transformation leader with over 20 years of public and private sector experience. During her tenure at the IRS, she managed a $290 million Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) digitalization portfolio, the launch of Secure Access Digital Identity (SADI) and drove legacy modernization.

Now that she’s departed government, she joins GovCIO Media & Research to discuss her experience, the legacy she’s left behind and how she pushed the IRS to modernize itself, while facing budget and staff shortages and solving big problems.

In her first interview since becoming Principal Director of the Defense Department’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO), Diba Hadi reflects on her role and vision for the office since stepping into the position in 2024 during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland.

Hadi shares insights into her day-to-day responsibilities and highlights efforts to strengthen the integration of universities into the Centers of Academic Excellence community. Her goal: to develop cyber talent aligned with the Defense Department’s evolving workforce needs.

She explores how improved data collection, interagency collaboration and smarter resource allocation can streamline reporting processes and support broader DOD hiring objectives. Hadi also discusses key initiatives, including scholarships, research partnerships and capacity-building grants, that bring together academia, industry and government to build cyber capabilities at their source.

Mark Gorak, the Defense Department’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office’s (CAEO) director and principal director for Resources and Analysis, shares how his office is shaping the future of cyber talent during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland.

Launched in 2024, CAEO has partnered with over 480 academic institutions nationwide to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. The office is working to streamline academic partnerships, create equitable opportunities for smaller schools and better align education with national security needs.

Gorak also discusses the Pentagon’s shift toward skills-based hiring, beginning with a pilot program for cybersecurity roles, with plans to expand the approach across the future defense workforce.

Competitiveness in advanced telecommunications technologies is critical to American innovation and national security. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the new Verticals-enabling Intelligent NEtwork Systems (VINES) program to foster U.S. leadership in advanced telecommunications and foster innovative real-world applications.

NSF Acting Assistant Director of Computer and Information Science and Engineering Ellen Zegura says that VINES is focused on advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, which will bring significant advantages in cost reduction and improved network reliability and availability through automation of processes. AI-native networks, Zegura adds, create more "capable" networks, which open the door for new use of wireless networks.

Zegura also discusses the collaborative aspect of the program. VINES brings together industry leaders like Intel and Qualcomm with federal agencies, as well as partnerships with the governments of Finland, Japan, India and Sweden. This global collaboration leverages resources and strengthens network operation and interoperability across national boundaries, which are often vulnerable points, Zegura explained.

Edmon Begoli, Director of the Center for AI Security Research (CAISER) at the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, highlights how his team is ensuring safe and responsible AI deployment across government during the AI+ Expo in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

The research team is developing cutting-edge tools and methodologies to assess AI vulnerabilities, test models under extreme conditions and create energy efficient solutions for complex technological challenges. Begoli's team is focusing on two key innovations: comprehensive AI security assessments and TinyML, a revolutionary approach to developing small, energy-efficient machine learning models. By creating AI systems that can operate effectively in limited environments — such as surveillance drones or long-term sensor networks — the team is addressing both security concerns and environmental sustainability challenges facing the technology sector.

The research goes beyond technical development, emphasizing education and public outreach to build AI literacy across diverse demographics. From high school students to senior citizens, the team is committed to demystifying AI technologies and demonstrating the potential to solve critical national security and infrastructure protection challenges. The team’s work represents a proactive approach to technological innovation, ensuring that AI can be trusted, secure and strategically advantageous for the nation.