Secret Service Is Embracing New Solutions to Combat Malicious Drones, Director Says
The U.S. Secret Service is adopting kinetic counter‑drone technologies to protect high‑profile events such as the FIFA World Cup, the nation’s 250th anniversary, the G20 summit and the 2028 Olympic Games. Director Sean Curran said the agency has spent just over $100 million on modernizing its drone‑defense capabilities and is seeking an additional $100 million in the FY‑27 budget. Partnerships with the Department of Defense and DHS are accelerating deployment of satellite‑jamming and direct‑fire solutions. Despite a temporary appropriations lapse, the agency reports only minor impacts on its technology rollout.
AI Is Helping VA Speed up Claims Processing, but Dems Worry About Errors
The Department of Veterans Affairs says its AI‑driven Automated Decision Support (ADS) system has cut average claim processing time by 42%, dropping from 141 days to 81 days since January 2025. VA officials stress that human reviewers retain final authority...
Agencies Report over 3,000 AI Use Cases in 2025
The Office of Management and Budget released the 2025 Federal Agency Artificial Intelligence Use Case Inventory, documenting 3,611 AI applications across 56 agencies—a 105% increase from 2024’s 1,757 cases. Health and Human Services leads with 447 use cases, followed by...
VA Has Touted Appointment Wait Time Reductions, but New Data Shows a More Mixed Reality
The Trump‑era Veterans Affairs Department touts shorter appointment wait times, yet FOIA data from 134 VA medical centers reveals a mixed picture. Only five of ten key specialties met the agency’s 20‑day primary/mental‑health and 28‑day specialty standards, unchanged from the...
How to Scale Value without Scaling Complexity
The article argues that Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) has moved from optional to essential for modern software delivery. It frames software development as an assembly process that stitches together reusable components, APIs and libraries rather than writing code from scratch. By outsourcing...
Pentagon Announces Senior Appointments to CIO’s Office
The Pentagon announced five senior appointments to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to bolster leadership under newly sworn CIO Kirsten Davies. Kayla Huthoefer Nelson will serve as chief of staff, Marci McCarthy as director of external engagements,...
Expect More Cybersecurity Executive Orders Soon, National Cyber Director Says
President Donald Trump is expected to sign additional cybersecurity‑focused executive orders soon, National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said at the Semafor World Economy forum. The move follows the release of the administration’s second national cyber strategy, which outlines goals such...
Senate Committee Approves Quantum Reauthorization Bill with 7 Amendments
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act, attaching seven amendments that broaden its scope. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s three proposals embed a quantum manufacturing institute, a public‑private sandbox for near‑term applications, and a federal quantum...
CISA Cancels CyberCorps Summer Internship Hiring Amid DHS Shutdown
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has scrapped all CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service summer internships after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered a two‑month funding lapse. The program, which funds tuition and provides stipends in exchange for future...
Agencies Are Missing a Step to Share Information on Better AI Acquisition, GAO Finds
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that federal agencies are struggling to share lessons learned from AI acquisitions, despite AI use cases more than doubling between 2023 and 2024. Interviews with acquisition leaders at the Department of Defense, Homeland Security,...
Appeals Court Removes Limits on DOGE Access to SSA Data Despite ‘Alarming’ Revelations
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that had barred the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive Social Security Administration (SSA) data. The panel held that the three plaintiff organizations...
DHS Intelligence Office Restructuring Would Still Keep It Under ODNI Oversight
President Biden’s FY‑27 budget proposes folding the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) into a single headquarters unit that reports to the DHS secretary. Despite the internal consolidation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence...
Tech Bills of the Week: Boosting Export Controls; AI-Focused Workforce Development; and More
Congress introduced a suite of technology‑focused bills aimed at tightening export controls, modernizing workforce training, and bolstering critical research. The MATCH Act would align U.S. and allied semiconductor export rules to block adversaries, while a bipartisan measure extends the statute...
Data Is a Strategic Asset and a Strategic Vulnerability
Global security leaders now view data as a primary strategic asset and a critical vulnerability. The rise of AI has turned data into both a powerful tool and an exposed flank, while cyberattacks are being weaponized for geopolitical pressure against...
US Push to Counter Hackers Draws Industry Deeper Into Offensive Cyber Debate
The U.S. government’s new offensive cyber strategy has reignited debate over private‑sector involvement in hacking operations. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross emphasized information sharing over direct offensive actions by companies, despite a growing market for exploit development. Industry leaders remain...
