Know What's Happening in GovTech
Know What's Happening in GovTech
Amadeus IT SA is in advanced talks to acquire Idemia Public Security for an estimated €2‑3 billion, a move that would combine the airline‑tech group’s travel‑focused biometric suite with Idemia’s law‑enforcement and border‑control capabilities. Idemia PS brings core biometric algorithm IP and a large footprint in mobile driver’s licenses, border control and public‑security solutions. The deal follows Amadeus’ €320 million purchase of Vision‑Box, expanding its airport‑biometrics portfolio. Amadeus reported FY 2025 revenue of €6.5 billion and plans a €500 million share‑repurchase program.
Do you know why this matters? Yes - Interesting right? No - Some ideas for you. 1. How your data has a "Shelf Life" - Even if a "Quantum Hack" is 10 years away, hackers are practicing "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later." 2. Y2Q...
Arctic Wolf identified a year‑long espionage campaign, dubbed SloppyLemming, that targeted government agencies and critical infrastructure in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka starting in January 2025. The group delivered malicious PDFs containing the BurrowShell backdoor and Excel files with keyloggers, using 112 Cloudflare‑hosted...
Virginia lawmakers are advancing two bills to regulate artificial intelligence in K‑12 classrooms. Senate Bill 394 would launch a pilot program and require the State Board of Education to issue safety, ethical and equity guidelines, with an annual report due...
Chittenden County Communication Union District (CCCUD) completed a fiber‑optic expansion into six rural towns—Essex Town, Essex Junction, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford, and Williston—bringing high‑speed internet to more than 1,900 homes and businesses. The project, executed with Fidium Fiber, was financed by...
The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has released the Bioresearch Monitoring Information System (BMIS), a searchable database that catalogs clinical investigators, contract research organizations, and institutional review boards linked to IND submissions since October 1, 2008. The dataset is updated...
The UK government has launched a consultation, running until May 26, 2026, to explore stricter controls on children’s access to social media, AI chatbots and online games. Proposals include minimum age thresholds, nighttime curfews, and bans on addictive design elements...
A GAO report says the National Weather Service (NWS) lacks clear objectives and a funding strategy for scaling AI‑driven multilingual weather alerts. The agency’s original $1 million contract for automatic translations was cut to $600,000, limiting its ability to update the...
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued an advisory warning British organisations of a heightened indirect cyber threat from Iran following a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader. While the agency sees no immediate surge in...
The UK Civil Aviation Authority released a Technical Concept of Operations detailing electronic conspicuity (EC) requirements for integrating BVLOS unmanned aircraft into shared airspace. Uncrewed systems must broadcast a 978 MHz ADS‑B signal and carry ADS‑B IN receivers, while crewed aircraft face...
The upcoming national cyber strategy will make artificial intelligence a cornerstone of federal network security, as emphasized by National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. Agencies are urged to secure AI use cases while leveraging AI to strengthen information security across government....
Senteic has issued a three‑year tender to build a comprehensive IoT ecosystem, inviting providers to deliver hardware, connectivity and platform solutions across nine categories, including smart metering, asset tracking, smart cities, e‑health, fleet management, smart grid, agriculture, and a generic...
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Forward Edge‑AI unveiled Isidore Quantum, a palm‑sized data diode that enforces one‑way data flow while encrypting traffic with post‑quantum algorithms such as ML‑KEM and ML‑DSA. The device, co‑developed with the U.S. government and Microsoft, delivers sub‑0.5 ms latency and up to...
Duxbury Networking has secured an exclusive distribution agreement for Milesight’s AI‑enabled surveillance solutions in South Africa. The partnership expands Duxbury’s video‑security portfolio with a platform that promises rapid deployment and open integration with existing IT and security systems. According to...
Anthropic signed a three‑year memorandum of understanding with Rwanda to deploy its Claude AI tools in health and education, offering developer access and training for public‑sector coders. Rwanda’s ICT minister touts the deal as a boost for national AI capacity,...
The Ministry of Justice has signed a £5 million two‑year "innovation bench" contract with UBDS Digital to provide on‑demand agile teams for early‑stage digital projects. The agreement, extendable by six months to August 2028, supplements the department’s 1,700 internal digital staff and...
Hong Kong’s Monetary Authority, Shanghai’s Data Bureau and the National Technology Innovation Center for Blockchain have signed an MoU to develop a blockchain‑based cross‑border platform for trade data, electronic bills of lading and financing. The effort will build on the...
Identity Week America, taking place September 2‑3 in Washington D.C., will host a series of CIAM authentication sessions aimed at strengthening organizational and customer security. The agenda highlights next‑generation technologies such as password‑less login, multi‑factor authentication, and facial recognition, with...
Russia’s internet regulator Roskomnadzor and the Defense Ministry suffered a large distributed denial‑of‑service (DDoS) attack that briefly took down several government websites. The agency described the assault as a complex multi‑vector operation originating from servers and botnets in Russia, the...
Manish Srivastava proposes a minimal digital kernel that provides the essential shared capabilities for an unbundled state to function as a rule‑of‑law machine. The kernel focuses on legibility, reproducibility, and enforceability, allowing other applications, intermediaries, and fulfillment channels to remain...
The UK government is considering its most stringent option to ban under‑16s from social media, which would require every user to undergo age verification. Proposed methods include mandatory ID checks, biometric scans, or AI‑based behavioural profiling. Privacy watchdog Big Brother...
The UK government has activated new commencement regulations that extend the Digital Economy Act 2017 data‑sharing powers to public bodies in Northern Ireland as of 11 February. The measures allow authorities to exchange information to improve services, reduce public debt...
Zachary Catanzaro argues that judges consulting ChatGPT for statutory meaning face a fundamental flaw, not merely a reliability issue. Large language models predict token sequences without true semantic comprehension, making computational legal interpretation a category error. He links this flaw to...
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has appointed former Beyond Bank CIO Stevie‑Ann Dovico as its inaugural chief technology officer. AFCA is confronting record‑high complaint volumes and seeks to modernise its digital workflows, improve accessibility, and handle the sustained surge...
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security announced a national cybersecurity firewall plan, codified in the new Cybersecurity Law that takes effect on July 1, 2026. The law’s Article 10 explicitly directs authorities to study a national firewall, marking the first statutory...
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) launched the Manage Your Vehicle Testing platform, a fully digital replacement for the legacy Technical Application System. The rollout, completed by June 2025, eliminated PDF uploads, introduced online payment and reusable templates, and allowed...
Local authorities and the Small Cell Forum have launched the Local Authority Connectivity Group to tackle planning, street‑works and funding hurdles that impede small‑cell deployment in public spaces. The initiative will produce blueprints, templates and toolkits to streamline collaboration between...
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) hosted a two‑day hackathon to accelerate digital solutions for environmental reporting. Teams built a Microsoft Power Automate workflow to ease data intake and an Azure‑based tool to streamline data transformation, both...
Yes but effectively NO ONE on the left is talking about data privacy & the House is abt to go into markup on a package of 19 “child safety” bills that would enact unprecedented levels of mass AI surveillance/fully remove...
Maybe not the most urgent issue, but @FERC eLibrary is down (at least for me).
Sri Lanka is set to roll out a biometric national digital ID by the end of 2026, with the first cards expected in the third or fourth quarter. The government has earmarked 35.6 billion rupees (about US$120 million) in the 2026 budget...
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is hiring a Director General to lead emerging technology and artificial intelligence, offering a salary of up to £174,000. The role will shape the UK’s strategy, investment and regulation across AI, quantum...
The European Free Trade Association‑Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (ESDEA) has entered into force for Singapore and Norway, following its signing in September 2025. The pact establishes binding rules for cross‑border data flows, electronic payments, and paperless trade, while prohibiting data‑localisation...
Vietnam will assign a unique identification code to every land plot, apartment, house and land‑attached asset starting March 1, 2026, integrating them into a single national land database. The digital platform will consolidate rights, planning data, transaction history, mortgage status and tax...
PhilTower MIDC became the first independent tower company in the Philippines to join the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). The move ties its aggressive rollout of built‑to‑suit towers to a formal workforce development framework, supporting the national “Build...
The Australian Digital Health Agency has launched the Digital Health Implementer Hub, replacing its Developer Portal to simplify how health services, software developers and system providers connect to national digital health infrastructure. The hub adds a personalized case‑management system, dynamic...
Indonesia is rolling out a two‑pronged strategy to protect minors online, beginning with the enforcement of Government Regulation No. 17 (PP Tunas) in March 2026. The law obliges digital platforms to implement age verification, content filtering and other safety controls. Complementing the regulation,...
Hong Kong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a structured AI partnership. The MoU outlines joint efforts in AI research, data infrastructure, governance standards, and talent development. Both jurisdictions aim to accelerate...
The NSW Audit Office reports that only 40% of the state’s 128 councils have formal AI policies, and merely 11% possess a strategic AI adoption plan. While 90 councils have deployed 109 AI tools, most lack a central inventory, leaving...
The United States, via Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is urging diplomats to counter foreign data‑sovereignty measures, calling EU regulations overly burdensome and a threat to innovation. At the same time, France announced it will replace Microsoft Teams and Zoom with...
The Department of Defense’s National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) project, launched in 2016 to modernize personnel vetting after a series of cybersecurity breaches, still lacks a reliable delivery schedule, the Government Accountability Office reported to Congress. Designed to serve every...
Several U.S. states are introducing legislation to pause data‑center expansions that support artificial‑intelligence workloads. The measures aim to give regulators time to assess water and power consumption, grid impacts, and potential electricity cost increases for local communities. These pauses follow...
Australia’s Home Affairs department has remained silent on ongoing talks with the United States about expanded data access for the Visa Waiver Program. The discussions, which began under the Biden administration in 2022, aim to increase the flow of traveler...
Melbourne will host two new TAFE Centres of Excellence, funded with $50.6 million from state and federal sources. The campuses will be located at Frankston and Moorabbin, raising the nation’s total VET excellence sites to 16. Minister for Skills and Training...
Accelint announced the appointment of Josh Kussman as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. Kussman, an entrepreneur, attorney, and former homeland security leader, joins after consulting stints and senior roles at Avantus Federal and Sentinel. His track record...
Escalating geopolitical tensions have amplified Iran‑backed cyber activity, with state‑sponsored groups such as Charming Kitten, APT33, and MuddyWater intensifying spear‑phishing, zero‑day exploits, and custom malware campaigns. These actors target a broad spectrum of sectors, from US political institutions and critical...
Colorado is leading with practical wildfire solutions. Aspen is first in the nation using new tech to get ahead of fires and protect lives, landscapes, and communities. From tackling pine beetles to statewide wildfire mitigation, we’re keeping Colorado’s forests and people...
Brussels proposed a digital form of cash that could be used both online and offline. Navarrete, by contrast, is pushing for an offline-only model. More delays. Can Europe break free of Visa and Mastercard? MEPs stall digital euro https://t.co/SLW3jTmnrB
The NHS is consolidating patient engagement by expanding the NHS App as a national digital front door, aiming for 95% of appointment bookings by 2028 and targeting £11 million in annual savings from phasing out third‑party patient portals. The Wayfinder programme...
Government AI moves from pilots to ops State and local agencies embed AI for efficiency and trusted services. #AI #CES2026 #MWC26 #IoT https://t.co/BvQ83jDytY https://t.co/7vryqhaQfj
