Commentary

Why formal government communications work better than informal ones

A study looks at how expectations of government style influence how citizens respond to messaging.

  • By Steve Kelman

Why it's time for a pivot on digital identity

COMMENTARY | The White House should rethink their approach to reducing identity theft in public benefits to align with the broader objective outlined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy—one that would invest in digital identity infrastructure that can reduce identity theft and cybercrime in every sector.

  • By Jeremy Grant

Okay boomers—listen up!

Steve Kelman remembers the savage beats of the great Tom Lehrer.

  • By Steve Kelman

Three ways federal agencies can align with the equity executive order

Knowing who to reach, customizing communications and leveraging data are key to making the Biden administration's executive order on delivering benefits and services to underserved communities work in practice.

  • By Angy Peterson

Dissenting from our toxic political culture

Steve Kelman says it's important in this highly partisan era to find points of disagreement with one's own party.

  • By Steve Kelman

Federal procurement is poised for reform—here's what to keep in mind

Increased collaboration between the private and public sectors will help all parties involved understand how best to modernize government systems while minimizing potential disruptions to critical operations.

  • By David Santiago

Why it's time to supercharge data infrastructure funding

Advances in technology have set the stage for pivotal collaborations between computer scientists, statisticians, mathematicians and domain scientists—but government needs to pitch in.

  • By Eric Lyons

Building accountability into the coming spyware ban

A long-anticipated executive order to block foreign commercial spyware should also come with accountability for companies that neglect cybersecurity best practices.

  • By Chris Cruz

Remembering Professor Carter

Steve Kelman reflects on the former defense secretary's life in government and academia.

  • By Steve Kelman

Measuring for management

Steve Kelman is impressed with how today's senior federal civilian and military managers approach performance data.

  • By Steve Kelman

Making risk work for you

Why cybersecurity risk management requires more than just threat mitigation.

  • By Suzanne Spaulding

Making an apology

On a trip to Taiwan, Steve Kelman reflects on the importance of apologies.

  • By Steve Kelman

Ransomware and resilience

It's not how hard you get hit, an industry expert argues, but how quickly you get back up.

  • By James Langley

Lessons from Taiwan's rise to dominate the computer chip industry

Steve Kelman notes that an assertive industrial policy can yield big wins for governments willing to invest and manage their investments.

  • By Steve Kelman
Featured eBooks

Let's not cancel TikTok

Steve Kelman argues that First Amendment rights come ahead of vaguely articulated national security concerns when it comes to the China-owned social media app.

  • By Steve Kelman

Improving CX through data and testing

We must gauge the scale and nature of the challenges we're facing before we charge headlong into trying to solve them and risk investing time, effort and public money in the wrong places.

  • By Billy Biggs

Shifting left on day one

An IT modernization bill currently moving in Congress would be improved by a focus on building security into software from the very start of the development lifecycle.

  • By Chris Wysopal

The DHS Procurement Innovation Lab is still busy

Steve Kelman looks at how advisory downselects pioneered helped speed up a key FEMA acquisition – and how other agencies can benefit.

  • By Steve Kelman

Loving guns, hating the government

In the wake of recent mass shootings, Steve Kelman explores the reasons why some are resistant to assault weapons bans and how it may stem from an aversion to the federal government.

  • By Steve Kelman

Enhancing the FITARA scorecard

Opportunities exist to enhance the FITARA scorecard to ensure its continued relevance and to keep pace with technology changes.

  • By David Wennergren

How existing policy can help fill the cyber workforce gap

There's still time to retool the Cyber Talent Management System at DHS to create a cadre of cyber specialists to fill key roles at federal civilian agencies.

  • By Ronald Sanders