Federal Tech Podcast: for innovators, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who want to increase reach and improve brand awareness

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Brian Funk from Metaphase summarizes his company in one sentence, “It’s all about meeting – meeting the mission with the technology.” What makes his company unique is the focus on drawing down costs in an efficient way. That is a great concept and has worked for Metaphase since its founding in 2013, but today we are uncertainly living in a world of policy. The question to ask, how does Metaphase operate in a world where the next six months are almost impossible to predict. Brian Funk’s response is that they support over twenty agencies, it has given them a range of experience so they can select from a wide range of solutions. One example he gives includes a rapid response to a DHS RFI. Instead of sketching a possible solution, Metaphase delivered a fully functional application. That in and of itself, is a demonstration of being able to rapidly adapt to unpredictable situations. Funk also discusses the need for guardrails in AI usage and the potential for AI to enhance both efficiency and security in federal IT.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com The federal government is releasing so many RFIs and RFQs that it is increasingly challenging to select which ones to respond to. For example, let us say you get 60 requests. You do not have an equal chance to win any of the sixty messages. Do you assign the same amount of time to each one? Do you review each and rank the chances of success? What about the time you used in the ranking process? Remember, you could jeopardize your chances of winning if you do not respond promptly. Deep Water Point & Associates offers one solution to this dilemma. During the interview, Brian Seagraves describes a system called “North Star” that leverages AI to look at an opportunity and give it a grade for your specific company. A ranking of 0—100 means you will not waste time or effort on a proposal that will go nowhere. As a “proof of concept,” John Milward from Axxa painted a picture of a solution. In 2023, he was drowning in responding to opportunities. He started using the North Star system and has experienced drastic improvement. Brian Seagraves reminds the audience that the federal government still awards contracts and sends out RFPs. During stressful times, it is always best to keep a cheerful outlook and increase the number of opportunities for your company.  

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Artificial Intelligence can be applied to code generation, predictive analytics, and what is called “generative” AI. " Generative means the AI can look at a library of information (Large Language Model) and create text or images that provide some value. Because the results can be so dazzling, many forget to be concerned about some of the ways the starting point, the LLM, can be compromised. Just because LLMs are relatively new does not mean they are not being attacked. Generative AI expands the federal government's attack surface. Malicious actors are trying to poison data, leak data, and even exfiltrate secure information. Today, we sit down with Elad Schulman from Lasso Security to examine ways to ensure the origin of your AI is secure. He begins the interview by outlining the challenges federal agencies face in locking down LLMs. For example, a Generative AI system can produce results, but you may not know their origin. It's like a black box that produces a list, but you have no idea where the list came from. Elad Shulman suggests that observability should be a key element when using Generative AI. In more detail, Elad Shulman details observability from a week ago vs. observability in real-time. What good is a security alert if a federal leader cannot react promptly? Understanding the provenance of data and how Generative AI will be infused into future federal systems means you should realize LLM security practices.  

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.

  Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.  

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com 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.