Feds at the Edge

AI presents such a dazzling set of opportunities that federal leaders can be tempted to dive in without careful planning.

This week on Feds At the Edge, we move past the hype to explore the tactical realities of deploying AI within the unique constraints of the federal environment.

Ashley Billman, Cybersecurity Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, explains why agencies must align AI architecture with mission and security needs, whether on-prem, hybrid, or cloud environments, and highlights a critical question: what's actually in the training data, and what might be missing?

The discussion also explores emerging risks. Experts Gary Bartlett from Illumio and Mark Mitchell from Netskope join the conversation to warn against the "agent" trend, sharing cautionary tales of AI inadvertently accessing sensitive information and explaining why robust governance is the only way to ensure your AI's conclusions are actually valid.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to learn why AI literacy is no longer an optional skill, but a strategic necessity for the future of federal cybersecurity. Stop chasing the headlines and start building a framework that turns AI from a risk into a mission-critical asset

AI has the power to transform government operations, but only if it's used wisely.

This week on Feds At the Edge, we dive into the high-stakes world of applied AI within public agencies, where the potential for massive efficiency gains sits right next to the risk of moving too fast without a map.

From Todd Sharkey of Lorain County, OH's look at the document "drowning" in many government organizations to Brandon Ragle at Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology's vital warnings on data privacy and strict procedural safeguards, we explore the thin line between innovation and liability. Brad Porter of Knowledge Lake joins us to bridge that gap, demonstrating how AI can classify and secure sensitive data at speeds once thought impossible.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform for our experts' takeaways: start small, pilot carefully, and measure the impact. When implemented thoughtfully, AI can turn overwhelming archives into actionable insights.

I isn't here to replace government professionals, it's here to elevate them.

Artificial intelligence is still new territory for many public sector leaders, but understanding how to apply it effectively can unlock major gains in productivity and insight. This week on Feds At the Edge, we dive into the essential transition for government professionals: offloading routine tasks to AI so humans can reclaim high-level analytical work.

Dr. Nancy Washton breaks down the critical distinction between "deterministic" traditional computing and today's "non-deterministic" AI, explaining why the same prompt can yield different results and how to vet those outputs by asking the system to document its own logic. Alongside Alyssa Ashworth's insights on data security, human oversight, and productivity metrics, this discussion provides a roadmap for moving from simple applications to complex, scaled solutions.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform as this discussion explores how to build professional confidence by starting small and scaling smart in the new age of intelligence.

What if the solution to our most daunting infrastructure challenges isn't just more concrete, but more clarity?

This week on Feds At the Edge, we explore how cutting-edge technology is turning budget constraints into opportunities for smarter, more sustainable growth.

Experts from VHB, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Georgia Department of Transportation, Bentley Systems, Inc, and Reynolds, Smith & Hills, discuss how leveraging digital twins - dynamic software-based replicas of physical projects - states can revolutionize the way they plan and build (avoid planning mistakes, enabling iteration cycles) allowing for precision-engineered spending and seamless workflows.

We will break down why Model-Based Design is more than just a fancy tool; it is a fundamental mindset shift to a single-source model that helps agencies navigate rapid technological change and severe resource shortages.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform as this discussion reveals how moving to a single-source digital model can optimize every dollar spent, ensuring our communities get the modern, reliable infrastructure they deserve.

Citizens expect government services to work seamlessly on their phones, and agencies are moving quickly to adapt. But simply extending legacy systems to mobile can leave critical security and usability gaps.

This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from California DMV and SailPoint break down three key lessons for building trusted, modern access.

First, MFA alone is no longer enough. As attackers find ways around one-time codes, organizations are shifting from basic identity checks to stronger, continuous authentication approaches.

Second, "fire-and-forget" permissions create risk. Access must be monitored and adjusted over time as roles and responsibilities change.

Third, what good is a better mousetrap if nobody uses it? Even the best technology fails without adoption. Agencies must engage users, demonstrate value, and make secure tools easy to use.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform because now is the time to act: evaluate your current systems and identify your gaps, strengthen access, and build the trust needed for successful digital transformation.

What does a massive county-based state like North Dakota have in common with a compact, town-centered state like Vermont? More than you'd think, and the stakes for their data have never been higher.

This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from North Dakota Information Technology, State of Vermont Agency Digital Services, and Palo Alto explore how states bridge geographical and administrative divides to secure their digital future. Despite stark differences in scale and structure, both faces universal challenges: managing massive data volumes and modernizing legacy systems.

We discuss three approaches that can improve services while reducing costs:

• Scalable Operations: The benefits of a Joint Security Operations Center (JSOC) for multi-agency coordination.

• Surface Management: Utilizing external perspectives to identify entry points and address vulnerabilities.

• Incident Response: Moving past a "head-in-the-sand" mentality to develop actionable plans for when a state gets hit.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to learn how effective, team-based operations are helping leaders rise to the occasion and achieve the goal of doing more with less.

Most practitioners building cybersecure environments know the basics: simplify system procedures, invest in continuous education, and elevate visibility across the network.

But what happens when new mandates are applied to legacy systems? The "bolt-on" approach is often expensive, frustrating, and ineffective.

This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from NETCOM, DARPA, and Axonius discuss how automation, AI, and continuous learning are reshaping cyber defense, and what agencies must do to build security that works.

We examine patching challenges, attack surface reduction, and how AI can help ease "task saturation," along with why visibility and education remain essential.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to hear whether modern technology is enough to meet today's security demands.

Today, we hear how to leverage the much-vaunted AI and ML technologies to make practical cybersecurity improvements for the federal government. The analysis includes comments about setting a base line, prioritizing alerts and a quick dive into the characteristics of Operational Technology (OT).

BASELINE: Signature-based risk analysis has proven to be easy to deceive. Alex Maier from August Schell suggests that the solution is a move to a "behavior" based tool. In other words, see where a user's behavior varies from the norm. If that is the case, then you must know what "typical" is all about and begin by observing typical patterns to discern noticeable differences.

AERTS: Some estimates suggest that a Security Operations Center (SOC) can receive 10,000 alerts a day. It is no wonder operators suffer from "alert fatigue" and miss problems. Rubrik has technology that can establish a risk-based alerting system to filter out low-level concerns.

ELEMENTS OF OT: Mark Hadley of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory describes OT as deterministic. That is to say, given a signal, always produce the same output with a fixed set of rules. Given that understanding, a heighted importance must be given to the value of the specific commands given to OT devices.

The discussion also covered the need for transparency and accountability, as well as the potential risks of AI-based attacks.

One sensor can generate 1.3 million data points per minute. Now imagine hundreds of them on a single military aircraft. OT powers everything from sensors in Air Force fighter jets to floating ocean buoys, yet applying traditional data management strategies to these systems is anything but simple. While many understand that OT controls physical devices, far fewer grasp the scale, velocity, and complexity of the data these systems generate.

This week on Feds At the Edge, experts from US Coast Guard, US Strategic Command, Army Test and Evaluation Command, and BMC explore practical ways to bring Operational Technology (OT) into modern federal IT architectures, from using analytics tools to extract actionable insights, to adopting platforms that unify data across systems, and training people to use technology effectively.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to learn how federal agencies can turn overwhelming OT data into clarity, confidence, and smarter operational decisions.

As agencies look to modernize healthcare systems, technology leaders face a unique challenge: driving innovation while safeguarding sensitive personal data and meeting strict regulatory requirements.

This week on Feds At the Edge, we hear from two unique perspectives on how to modernize healthcare safely, strategically, and effectively.

Suresh Soundararajan, CIO for the Virginia Department of Health, explains why technology initiatives fail when they aren't aligned with organizational strategy, and why success should be measured through meaningful outcomes like patient satisfaction and reduced processing times, not change for change's sake.

Nasheb Ismaily, Principal Solutions Engineer, Public Sector at Cloudera Government Solutions, introduces the concept of "precision health," showing how predictive analytics can help identify risks earlier, shift care away from costly emergency interventions, and improve long-term outcomes.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform for this conversation that underscores the importance of shared vision, cultural change, and a deliberate, strategic approach to technology adoption in healthcare.