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

Sometimes, the most important impact of technology can be behind the curtains. Today, we will not focus on AI Deep Fakes and AI language translation, but on the impact AI on software development. Terry Miller from Karsun begins the interview with the basics of software development: collecting user stories. Traditionally, a systems analyst would interview several users to see how a software system should behave. This time-consuming process can be assisted with AI helping in assembling the details. Please note, Terry Miller will argue that AI is used as an auxiliary to humans putting together the stories. It can reduce time by eliminating tedious tasks and allowing well-paid professionals to focus on the key concepts. Every large organization, including the federal government, has legacy systems that need to be replaced. This is always challenging because older systems have been put together with the proverbial duct tape. It can challenge a human to review code that has so many twists and turns to understand what to send to the new system and what is unnecessary. AI can be used to review existing code to see where it can be leveraged to make an easy transition. Enterprise architects can then design a systematic approach to enable this transfer. If you would like to see an example of this transition technology, you can visit Karsun Technologies and evaluate their tool called ReDuX-AI.  = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com

Ep. 150 Can a platform provide a path to safe AI for federal technology? About every reader knows that ServiceNow is a large company that helps the federal government with managing large systems. Today, Dr. Raj Iyer answers the question – is ServiceNow keeping up with AI to help reduce cost and improve delivery for massive federal systems? Dr. Iyer is in a unique position because of his years of experience in commercial systems and a recent stint as the CIO of the United States Army. An argument can be made that he is up to date with managing large systems and has a thorough understanding of challenges in data security and cyber vulnerabilities. During the interview, he provided a wide range of examples of how ServiceNow is leveraging its platform-as-a-service offering. A big splash was made when ChatGPT was able to generate content from large language models. When it comes to the federal. government, they cannot use the stand large language model because of security concerns. One approach that ServiceNow has taken is a partnership with NVidia that will all federal agencies to create domain-specific data sets. They can be compliant, secure, and allow innovation to be applied to a myriad of federal-specific problems.   = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? . Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com  

Vishwas Lele discusses combining AI with proposal writing for data security in the federal intelligence community. He highlights Microsoft's AI approach and the importance of human knowledge in proposal writing. The podcast explores the fusion of creativity and AI, security measures for federal documents, ethical considerations in AI models, and the synergy between AI and human expertise in proposal writing.

Federal technology has paralleled the commercial world in its expansion to millions of endpoints. On one hand, this means better information from something like an intrusion sensor. On the other hand, it means the attack surface has just expanded exponentially. It has come to a point where there has been a normalization of breaches. Unfortunately, this does not mean one can neglect protecting your agency from external threats. ZeroFox specializes in understanding external threat security. They have been around since 2013 and “Zero” in on protecting apps, data, people, domains, and API’s. During the interview, AJ Nash goes into considerable detail when he differentiates between the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. He does not realize it, but he is a differentiator as well.   ZeroFox relies on leaders like AJ Nash who have considerable experience in the intelligence community and understand the levels of security that are necessary to protect sensitive federal systems. But they do not just stop at identification. AJ Nash continues his comments on something called “automated remediation. “ZeroFox can help your agency move to the next level and integrate with systems that can snap into action when a threat is detected. COVID, fast Internet connections, and small sensors have made the Internet infinitely more dangerous than it was even a few years ago. Understanding external threats can prevent takeovers and attacks. = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com  

After hundreds of interviews with tech innovators I have concluded they are all trying to accomplish the same thing: tell how they can help get the word out that they may have a slice of the solution for federal information technology. One of the best ways to “get the word out” is through a community of interest. During the interview today, Derek Weeks details his success in forming a community around Development Operations, or DevOps.  In fact, he has published a book detailing that wildly successful endeavor:  Unfair Mindshare LINK One of the keys is to listen to problems and gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges in remedying complex tech concerns in the federal government. The community is called DevOpsDay https://devopsdays.org/ Derek and a colleague started with an idea to have a couple of hundred developers have access to each other in an informal meeting. It became so popular that it has blossomed into a group of 30,000. Some key takeaways ·Start with a user-lead experience. There is no use in guessing what topics will be of interest to the community. Reach out personally to dig deep into current issues and concerns. ·Give without expectation. User generated content is closest to the problems than anything from the marketing department. Content from sponsors as well as from members should be shared willingly. ·1,000-hour rule. There is a commitment of at least 1,000 hours a year to accomplish a successful community. This is not a “set it and forget it” initiative. Careful nurturing and growth of the community needs a real effort. ·Localize community relationships. We have seen meetups all over the world. One way to get the word out is to contact like-minded professionals. A problem in Sao Paulo, Brazil could be the exact concern in Kigali, Rwanda. ·Sustaining the relationship is as crucial as beginning it. Derek gives specific tips on maintaining the relationship over the long haul. The success of community building tells us more about software developers than anything else. Aggressive pitches will be discounted. Generic email blasts are outdated. Digital natives appreciate authentic experiences. This means that a community leader does not look at a member of a community as a “prospect” but as a “person.” = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com 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 has a myriad of technological challenges: legacy systems, Zero Trust, and even maintaining existing equipment! Most companies who work in that environment solve problems from a traditional office, or, even more comfortably, a home office. Unfortunately, life at the tactical edge is not that easy. Today, we dive into the tactical edge network with Sumner Lee, the CEO of a company called Fuse Integration. He started his career at the U.S. Naval Academy and has served in a variety of different geographical environments. As a result, he has an appreciation for warfighters being in remote and contested environments where communications are critical. Because today we rely heavily on digital systems for targeting and coordination in the field, any loss of communication can result in grave consequences. One of the keywords in the interview is the term “resilience.”  In common tech talk, this means having a backup server in another state. When it comes to the tactical edge, it means establishing a system that has backups. For example, if a cable connection goes down, a satellite can provide backup. If someone loses all communications, they still have basic functioning capabilities. During the interview, Sumner provides examples of how difficult resilience can be in contested environments that are geographically disparate. When a warfighter is under pressure, it is even more important to provide seamless information that is user focused. When friction is reduced, difficult tasks can be completed in a more efficient manner.   = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com

Cybersecurity threats are like fashion; wait a few years and they come back in style. The Internet was designed to take a series of digits and resolve them to a website address. This was deemed the Domain Name Service, or DNS. In 1996, we saw the first malicious actor flooding a system with an attack. This was called a Distributed Denial of Service Attack, or DDOS. Over the years new methods of attack have proliferated and DDOS has taken a back seat. However, the number of endpoints has risen exponentially. It certainly looks like we are in a perfect storm to revive good old-fashioned DDOS. During today’s interview, Rob San Martin tells the audience that Akamai processes over 11 trillion DNS requests a day and can see trends. According to Akamai’s internal threat intelligence, in 2023, 60% of DDOS attacks had a DNS component. Looks like we are Back to the Future! Sean Lyons from Akamai shared an amazing story from last year. A local government was attacked more than 6,000 times. This attack was sustained for over three- and one-half hours. If you work for a federal agency and are looking for an on-premises solution for this problem, you may want to consider Akamai’s new offering in hybrid DNS infrastructure security called Shield NS53. Listen to the interview to gain a better understanding of options for controlling DNS issues in your system. = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com  

Appian Corporation is a 25-year-old technology company that focuses on improving process automation for large organizations. Once a year they have an annual conference for developers and partners. They rotate this meeting all over the world, we are lucky enough to have them meet in Washington DC where we have the chance to sit down with one of Appian’s co-founders, Michael Beckley. During the interview Michael Beckley covered topics like the impact of artificial intelligence on process automation; process automation and acquisition professionals; and how to improve process automation. Appian Corporation was one of the first companies to embrace a platform that was described as no-code, low-code. The interview will give you a detailed understanding of the benefits of that approach. After these questions, we pivoted to looking at how Appian Corporation can help the federal audience reach agency goals. Michael detailed concepts like re-using code, compliance, and how Appian uses objects. During the event, I decided to meet some developers and ask them what questions they would ask if they had the opportunity to sit down with one of the founders of Appian. Let us begin with the questions from the “floor.”   Minor Mata from Costa Rica. “No questions, we just appreciate all the free training.” He expanded on the concept of not just technology training, but instruction in solving business problems as well. Appian understands that software needs to enable execute in practice. Noe Miniel from Miami. “Can you improve the speed of the interface?” Appian gives you the tools to speed up the system. That is the purpose of the Appian data fabric. Jason R. from the federal government. “Can you make the code easier to review?”   Appian incorporates the ability to configure Appian. This can allow senior architects to review the code and not create redundancy. They have template libraries as well as visual tools to allow comparison of code in development. Listen to the interview to get a bird’s eye view of the progress Appian has made over the years to help federal agencies develop flexible code as well as maintain high compliance standards.   = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com      

In connecting with some new listeners, I learned that some have never sold to the federal government and listened to the podcast to see how other companies manage to work with federal agencies in reaching agency goals. Well, it seems time to pull back with a bonus episode on how to sell technology to the federal government. To accomplish this task, I looked for a person with twenty years of experience in public sector marketing. The logical choice was Brian Chidester. He has worked for many companies in the past two decades and, as a bonus, has a podcast as well. His podcast is called The Government Huddle  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-government-huddle-with-brian-chidester/id1506796636 In a far-ranging discussion, Brian overviews topics like regulations, contract vehicles, and partnerships. COMMERCIAL VS. FEDERAL The interview begins by listing how selling to a commercial organization differs from a federal agency. For example, you may not realize that a contracting officer for an agency may be prohibited from discussing the purchase with the end users. For-profit companies may have some compliance requirements, but none come close to the layer and layer of regulations on a federal site. The federal site cannot just respond to the needs of one segment, like shoe buyers. They serve the public and, as such, must provide access for all citizens equally. CONTRACT VEHICLES The federal government is allocated funds in a completely different manner than a commercial organization. For example, an agency like NASA may have Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP). It provides information on products available to contractors. PARTNERSHIPS During the discussion, Brian details what can happen. The federal government may have allocated money for a project and mandated a certain amount for small businesses. Your company may be a perfect fit, but you do not qualify to bid on the contract. It is perfectly feasible to partner with companies like Carahsoft or The Immix Group on a proposed solution. You may have the technical talent, and a company like Carahsoft understands the complex compliance process. It is a win-win proposition. Brian Chidester ends the interview on a high note. He reinforces the idea that the federal government is actively seeking talent that will solve their problems. = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Want to connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com    

Not all threats to the United States are discussed in English. That simple concept is well known in the intelligence community; however, making an obvious statement and being able to understand the nuances of a foreign language is a different matter. Today’s interview is with John Weaver, the Chief Strategy Officer for a company called Babel Street. The company began in 2009 with its name recognizing its ability to understand languages. From this humble beginning, it has grown into a powerhouse for looking at open-sourced information and doing advanced analytics. During the interview, John Weaver talks about the dilemma many federal agencies are encountering. On the one hand, they have an increased number of sensors and storage where they can amass tremendous amounts of raw data. The dilemma federal leaders face is how to unlock the insight that matters. Babel Street focuses on open-sourced information for situational awareness on topics that go beyond linguistics. Of course, they can do a multilingual search, but they have enhanced that basic skill to include social media monitoring, entity resolution, and situational awareness. Listen to the interview to gain insight on how Babel Street can help you ingest insights promptly. John Weaver refers to an article called “What is the Risk-Confidence Gap” that can help you understand how to leverage your budget and resources to reduce threats to your agency.   = = = Want to leverage you next podcast appearance? www.podscorecard.com Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com