Socure, Okta, and Carahsoft: Pioneering a New Era in Government Identity Verification

Posted on by Jeff Shultz

Digital-first experiences are a top priority across every level of government to improve service delivery, simplify user experiences, and rebuild trust with the American public. At the same time, agencies must defend against ever-present threats of identity theft, fraudulent accounts, and account takeovers. That’s why advanced digital Identity verification and strong authentication are essential for modern government services.

At Socure, we are excited to announce a transformative partnership with Okta and Carahsoft Technology Corp., which marks a significant advancement in our mission to enhance digital identity verification across the public sector. This collaboration aims to deliver a FedRAMP & StateRAMP compliant identity solution, ushering in a new era of security and efficiency for federal, state, and local government agencies.

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The integration of Socure’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled ID+ platform with Okta’s adaptive multi-factor authentication, best-in-class compliance and security features, and modern, frictionless cloud infrastructure creates a powerhouse capable of addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by government agencies today—especially in its efforts to combat sophisticated identity fraud. Our joint solutions now offer government agencies at all levels scalable, simple, and secure identity solutions built for the modern era. Achieving accurate and inclusive digital identity verification is critical to accelerating government service delivery for vital programs.

Digital transformation in government services is not just about upgrading technology—it’s about ensuring that these technologies offer secure, seamless, and inclusive access to the public. This is where our partnership becomes crucial. Socure’s ID+ platform, recognized for its high accuracy and inclusivity in identity verification, complements Okta’s expertise in secure access and adaptive multi-factor authentication. Together, we are setting new standards for what digital interactions in the public sector should look like.

Our joint solution provides government agencies with tools that are not only top-notch in security but also designed to enhance the user experience. By reducing friction and simplifying processes, we make it easier for the public to access vital services, from social benefits to healthcare, without compromising on security. This approach helps to build a stronger, more trusting relationship between the government and the public, which is essential in today’s digital age. We recently produced a joint webinar in which you can listen to the recording here.

For example, Socure’s predictive analytics platform goes beyond traditional identity checks by analyzing a broad range of data points, from physical documents to digital footprints. This allows for real-time verification that is both thorough and efficient. Okta’s Universal Directory and Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication add another layer of security, ensuring that only legitimate users can access sensitive information.

At a time when digitizing benefits delivery is needed to reach large subsets of the population and bolstering public trust in government services is paramount, these solutions work together to provide key benefits, including:

Auto-approval of more eligible individuals (98% for mainstream populations and up to 94% for hard-to-identify populations, including Gen Z, millennial and new-to-country individuals)
More effective fraud prevention, capturing 90% of third-party identity fraud in the riskiest 3% of users
Reduction of manual reviews with fully automated identity verification and fraud prevention, with a response in milliseconds
Fast time-to-value with easy, secure connections across a variety of applications and on the cloud
Comprehensive approach to security with audited infrastructure and process
Reduction of the burden of password management with simple, passwordless MFA options
A variety of flexible authentication options that nearly everyone can use

By pooling our capabilities, we will help reduce the cost, burden, and friction generated by today’s pervasive attacks and deliver a better consumer experience without making it harder for people to interact with government services.

Watch our webinar to learn more about how successfully verifying identity requires a multi-layered approach.

Google and Okta Partner to Modernize Identity Management in Higher Education

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

Online collaboration is an essential part of the workplace and the educational sphere. To ensure this collaboration is done securely, Okta and Google have partnered to enhance and automate identity management at scale.

Okta is a neutral, AI powered, extensive platform that puts identity at the heart of any IT stack. No matter the industry, use case or level of support needed, Okta facilitates Identity Access Management (IAM) while keeping security at the core of the integration. Google Workspace is a collection of collaboration tools, and with more than three billion users, it aims to meaningfully connect users to facilitate partnerships and growth. While identity management can be complex, it does not need to be. Together, this partnership makes the path towards modern identity management as neutral, simple, secure and straightforward as possible.

With their recent partnership, customers can now:

Automate identity processes at scale
Unlock productivity with optimal security
Collaborate with each other, seamlessly and securely
Use their Google credentials across over 7,500 different apps
Gain cross-platform login privileges across Google Workspace and Okta
Access accounts with new, simplified user permissions and automated access management

Every organization strives to modernize and adopt cloud technology. This is also true within the higher education market, which is continuing to refine the trend of remote and hybrid learning following the pandemic. The applications and resource solutions that Google provides to higher education, along with the integration of Okta’s IAM capabilities, is immensely beneficial to the agency’s journey in adapting modern cloud technology and security.

Leading the Modernization of Identity Management in Education

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With the influx of hybrid and online learning, higher educational institutions are still learning how to orient solutions towards online learning and teaching. From an IAM perspective, higher education is one of the most complex environments with regards to the vast array of users. Within one network, an institution has faculty, staff, professors and a yearly lifecycle of students that range from applicants to alumni. The process of onboarding and offboarding students and faculty can be time consuming and requires multiple digital programs to facilitate. Okta provides a frictionless onboarding and offboarding experience for administrations that deal with changes in the student body. There are also external users such as partners, contractors and subcontractors, such as medical centers and food providers, that universities must consider. Okta’s open, neutral and independent identity platform can integrate with technologies commonly used by institutions, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Student Information System (SIS), allowing universities to build off of software they are already using. Depending on the role of the individual accessing the software, the identity gains access to personalized experiences.

Okta offers the capability to combine and manage various groups and processes in a single, secure platform. The partnership between Okta and Google enhances the student experience from their perspective, too. Okta’s single platform can solve student-specific challenges, such as managing multiple accounts and logins across an array of learning tools, enabling smoother daily operations and access. With cross platform log in, students can securely access Google Chatroom and Classroom features with IAM capabilities. By implementing Google Cloud capabilities into daily functions, higher education institutions can create a more modern experience for students while reducing costs. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) virtual agents are used to answer student questions and direct them to services, and mobile apps are utilized for mental health check-ins and other well-being services.

How Okta and Google uphold Zero Trust and Cybersecurity

Identity is one of the key pillars within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). Okta upholds Zero Trust principles by ensuring that through methods such as multi factor authentication, the person gaining access is who they say they are. By only allowing access to devices that are up to date, Okta prevents bad actors from hacking older systems with commonly known security vulnerabilities. By sustaining a strong ZTA baseline, Google and Okta establish a secure experience for students, staff and faculty.

Okta gives customers a neutral, powerful and extensible platform that puts identity at the heart of information technology (IT) stacks. No matter what industry, use case or level of support is needed, Okta has customers covered. Okta and Google integrate with technology partners, alliance partners and vendors to uphold and exemplify security principles. In doing so, they ensure that every user on campus networks are safe and secure.

To learn more about Okta and Google’s partnership and the benefits to cloud and IAM security, visit the Carahsoft-hosted webinar on the company’s newfound partnership: Securing Productivity with Google Workspace + Okta.

Contact our Okta solutions experts today to discover the power of Okta and Google together, and how these industry leading organizations can support your higher education initiatives.

Generative AI: Improving Efficiency for SLED Agencies

Posted on by Kyle Black

Users in the new age engage with generative AI like a personal assistant, granting it access to their personal calendars and assigning it tasks such as making dinner reservations to make life easier. On the professional level, employees turn to AI to expedite difficult or repetitive tasks to make their work easier. By educating employees on the security ramifications of generative AI, and by properly implementing it into their agency, State and Local Government and Education Market (SLED) decision makers can accelerate and improve their day-to-day processes.

Updated Security Parameters

When it comes to sensitive data, agencies and individuals should always maintain a broad scope of vigilance. With generative AI, agencies need to consider who has access to that information, and which adversaries may potentially exploit that information.

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Employees should be trained to spot red flags and use AI safely. With the increase in deep fakes, such as voice masking or impersonation, employees need to be able to spot suspicious phone calls and videos. With proper training to detect and report these instances, employees can help prevent hacking attempts. It is difficult to prevent employees from using generative AI, even in specific scenarios where sensitive data is present. Agencies should make the switch to sanctioned vendors, granting them access to fully tracked logs. It is critical to prevent sensitive information from passing into public AI, where it will be shared with others.

By design, AI is a black box. While agencies and users can not know what goes on between input and output, they should only trust generative AI packages that have dependable service hosts. Agencies, especially SLED agencies that handle sensitive information, need to be guaranteed that their data will remain contained by reliable parent companies. By negotiating through contracts vehicles, agencies can maintain visibility over the flow of data by learning if their information is being retained and for how long.

Saving Time with Generative AI

Some of the first generative AI models were built for translation machines such as Google Translate. Many services, such as Zoom, employ generative AI as plugins, which transcript language in real time for the appropriate audience.These models initially generated very verbatim translations, however, intent and context in communication is critical. Users often go to third party generative AI models to translate emails or web pages. They have more trust in their automation capabilities to understand and mirror context and intent in translation than the built-in translation services that many legacy software features offer.

Generative AI can help with drafting emails, broadcasting information, meeting deadlines and responding to agents, ultimately expediting processes. This can be especially helpful with overworked translators. While generative AI works to complete the main translations, the workers can focus on reviewing translations, expediting and perfecting the process. While there will ultimately always be a need for human interaction from a promotional, proofreading and understanding perspective, generative AI can speed up communication.

Generative AI can reduce the number of steps users take. By leading users from step A to step C, bypassing the difficult or time-consuming step B, generative AI keeps users on track. And for models trained on a SLED agency’s own data, users can always reference internal documents if questions arise. This scales back on the amount of busy work, reducing time spent on finding information. Generative AI can also expedite the synthesis of search data. In the past, search engines could locate documents for agencies. Now, agencies going through SLED records can not only find the document itself, but find the information within the document, and analyze that information before returning it to the user.

By accelerating the day-to-day tasks of employees, generative AI frees up creative minds to complete more vital, thorough and intricate projects, improving utility.

AI has been integral to Broadcom’s product solutions in user and enterprise IT. When properly implemented, generative AI can enhance technology, cybersecurity, analytics and productivity. To learn more about how Broadcom can help implement secure generative AI in SLED spaces, view Broadcom’s SLED focused cybersecurity solutions.

Elevating State and Local Government Services in California Through Transformative Technology

Posted on by Robert Moore

State and Local Government agencies are constantly seeking ways to improve their services and processes to better serve their constituents and must embrace new technologies, prioritize cybersecurity and ensure data privacy to achieve this goal. These important topics were discussed by Government IT and industry leaders at the Carahsoft Digital Transformation Roadshow in San Jose, California. Speakers covered how to implement emerging technologies, enhance customer experience and protect constituents’ privacy and security through innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and data privacy solutions.

Innovating Service Delivery to Constituents

Using advanced technologies can significantly elevate service delivery to constituents in several ways. Firstly, it can enhance the speed and efficiency of Government services, allowing constituents to access information and services more quickly and easily. Secondly, advanced technologies improve the accuracy and quality of Government services through data analytics that help identify patterns and trends, reduce errors and improve outcomes. Finally, advanced technologies increase transparency and accountability, allowing constituents to track the progress of their requests and hold agencies accountable for their actions.

State and Local agencies are often faced with a lack of resources, making it imperative to leverage new technologies and processes to save time and money. The updated systems must also be secured to protect their constituents’ data which requires significant planning, resources and collaboration to achieve successful implementation. Additionally, agencies must ensure that any changes they make comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as data privacy laws and accessibility standards.

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AI solutions are just one of the successful implementations that has enabled agencies to streamline processes and upgrade service offerings to constituents. The adoption of innovative technologies has facilitated faster and more efficient interactions with constituents, leading to improved customer service and satisfaction. The integration of AI technology for real-time data analysis has also empowered agencies to make informed decisions and respond promptly to community needs.

Assessing the Impact of AI

Generative AI is a type of AI that can create new content, such as images, videos and text based on data it has compiled. By studying generative AI, State and Local agencies can develop policies and guidelines for the responsible use of this technology, including measures to prevent the creation and dissemination of harmful or misleading content.

Additionally, studying generative AI helps Government agencies identify potential applications for this technology that can benefit society, such as creating realistic simulations for training purposes or prompting new scientific discoveries. By understanding the potential benefits and risks of generative AI, agencies can make informed decisions about incorporating this technology in their operations.

If leveraged for services and processes, AI could provide many benefits to State and Local agencies through several means:

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: handle citizen inquiries, provide information about Government services and assist with simple transactions.
Data Analysis and Predictive Modeling: analyze large volumes of data to identify patterns and trends, enabling State and Local agencies to make data-driven decisions in areas such as public safety, resource allocation and urban planning.
Automation of Routine Tasks: automate repetitive and time-consuming data entry and document processing, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and high-value activities.
Fraud Detection and Prevention: detect and prevent fraudulent activities, such as tax evasion and benefit fraud, thereby safeguarding Government resources and taxpayer funds.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities by providing speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, as well as other assistive technologies.

Cybersecurity and the Current Threat Landscape

State and Local Government agencies play a crucial role in national security, and their systems and data must be protected to prevent potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors. The current threat landscape includes sophisticated cyber threats such as ransomware, phishing attacks and advanced persistent threats. Robust cybersecurity measures are necessary to defend against these evolving threats and prevent disruptions to Government services.

Sensitive citizen data, including personal, financial and health information is often handled by State and Local agencies. Therefore, it is important for agencies to maintain strong cybersecurity and data privacy to uphold the public’s trust and confidence. By adhering to data protection regulations and compliance requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), agencies can preserve the integrity of Government operations.

Several agencies have successfully implemented cybersecurity and data privacy measures:

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to strengthen access controls and protect sensitive systems and data from unauthorized access.
Data encryption to protect sensitive information both at rest and in transit.
Incident response planning to effectively address and mitigate cybersecurity incidents.
Compliance with data protection regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
Cybersecurity training and awareness programs to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, phishing awareness and the importance of data privacy.
Collaboration and information sharing with other agencies, law enforcement and cybersecurity organizations to stay informed about emerging threats and best practices in cybersecurity.

The path to elevating State and Local Government services requires a strategic incorporation of transformative technologies, notably AI, cybersecurity and data privacy. Leveraging advanced technologies can enhance interactions with constituents, fostering efficiency and transparency. Amidst resource constraints, agencies must implement AI solutions while also prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures. Agencies must navigate digital transformation with responsibility, ensuring the delivery of efficient, secure and privacy-focused services, thereby forging a future where technology elevates governance while upholding public trust.

Explore more resources and learn more about Carahsoft’s State and Local Roadshow Series: Digital Transformation by visiting our Roadshow portfolio.

EdTech Talks: Modernizing Education with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Posted on by Tim Boltz

Schools must embrace change alongside their growing generations to equip students for the future. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are two evolving, expansive technologies that are creating a monumental impact in the private and Public Sector, with education institutions being no exception. At Carahsoft’s annual EdTech Talks Summit, education leaders explored how AI and ML are changing the way teachers instruct, the way students learn and the way administrators approach technology in schools.

As a baseline, when considering AI for K-12 and higher education, administrators should follow several guiding principles for responsible and trustworthy use of AI.

Human-centricity: Promote human well-being, individuality and equity
Inclusivity: Ensure accessibility and diverse perspectives
Accountability: Proactively identify and mitigate adverse impacts
Transparency: Instruct students and teachers on proper usage, including potential risks and how decisions are made
Robustness: Operate reliably and safely while enabling mechanisms that assess and manage potential risks
Privacy and security: Respect the privacy of data subjects

Generative AI in Education

Generative AI is still fairly new to the education space and educators are on both sides of the spectrum of acceptance—some prefer to erase it from their schools while others are open to embracing the up-and-coming technology for use cases not only in the classroom, but also to prepare students for the future workforce.

For example, one of the first technologies educators may be inclined to use when adopting AI in the classroom is detection tools. Dr. Anand Rao, Professor of Communications Chair of the Department of Communications and Digital Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia recommends against this technology implementation because it could negatively affect vulnerable students. AI detection is not 100% correct in every instance. For some students, English may not be their first language and a detection tool could potentially identify their work as AI generated because it may be more formulaic. While detection tools can be utilized in a positive way to ensure honesty is upheld within students’ work, teachers and professors should use their discretion to determine the results of detection tools.

AI literacy is one of the most important principles for instructors to explore, deliberate and establish guidelines for. Since generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and other tools like detection programs are still modernizing, students and faculty should go through a test period to learn how they work and understand whether they are comfortable utilizing them. As a next step, IT teams must be prepared to begin implementation and consider cybersecurity in that process.

Analytics and Data in AI

Education data grows exponentially with each new school year; however, collecting, evaluating and taking action based on the insights of that data is a long yet vital process. Instructors and administrators must leverage platforms that can help automate and analyze new and archived data to make the most informed decisions for their schools using the AI analytics lifecycle. This includes managing data efficiently, interpreting observations made about data and finally, creating a plan to incorporate constructive action to address needs discovered via the data. Using this strategy, schools can be better prepared to tackle real world questions and scenarios and provide students and teachers with the tools and processes they need to be successful.

This year’s EdTech Talks Summit event aimed to educate academic IT decision makers and end users about the current challenges and solutions surrounding student growth and development, security, AI and ML and cost-saving, modernization benefits of today’s leading EdTech solutions. The Education sector faces new challenges every school year, and it is imperative now more than ever that the IT industry and Government work together to provide the most safe and successful learning environments for all students.

Visit the EdTech Talks Conference Resource Center to view panel discussions and other innovative insights surrounding security, AI and student success from Carahsoft and our partners.

About Carahsoft in the Education Market

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Education IT Solutions Provider™.

Together with our technology manufacturers and reseller partners, we are committed to providing IT products, services and training to support Education organizations.

Carahsoft is a leading IT distributor and top-performing E&I Cooperative Services, Golden State Technology Solutions, Internet2, NJSBA, OMNIA Partners and The Quilt contract holder, enhancing student learning and enabling faculty to meet the needs of Higher Education institutions.

To Learn more about Carahsoft’s Education Solutions, please visit us at http://www.carahsoft.com/education

To learn more about Carahsoft’s AI Solutions, please visit us at https://www.carahsoft.com/solve/ai-machine-learning

The Evolution of Technology in the Defense Industry at DoDIIS

Posted on by Francis Rose

Innovation in Government benefits the changing and growing needs of the nation, and the Department of Defense (DoD) leads the way in both innovation and security. The Department of Defense Intelligence Information System (DoDIIS) is a conference for the nation’s top military and technology specialists to share insights revolving around the show’s theme – ‘Chaos to Clarity: Leveraging Emerging Technologies.’ Fed Gov Today joined Carahsoft on the show floor to discuss IT and OT updates, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and priority technology updates with military thought leaders.

Departmental Shift to Information Technology

The DoD aims to refresh technology and standardize user experience across the department as a response to employee feedback. These standards are partially inspired by Zero Trust models and codifying existing standards. Through the implementation of office management and hiring defense digital service experts, agencies will update hardware and endpoints, refresh outdated technology and enhance overall IT capabilities. Executing these standards will require time and financial resources, and to properly utilize all acquired resources, a new generation of industry professionals will need to be onboarded. By building off effective processes from previous initiatives and hiring new talent that is optimally suited for these processes, the department can make strides in software such as cloud computing, generative AI and Zero Trust. The introduction of the Joint Operational Edge Cloud (JOEC) is also critical in accelerating cloud computing for combat tactical edge usage during the interim shifts in technology. At record speeds, the DoD must move from hardware defined enterprise towards modifying software.

AI Evolution

While AI is in its infancy, prototypes show a promising and interesting future where machines are trained to complete work. With more than 1,200 AI applications across civilian agencies, and various similarities and differences in the way AI is used by Government and commercial agencies, there is a lot the Federal sphere can learn from commercial agencies. In the private sector, companies tend to build back-end architecture for AI, providing fast access to all data. The Federal Government can optimize this plan by automating AI/ML to gain tactical advantage against machine adversaries. AI can also aid in predicting component failure. This helps agencies get hardware and software back on track as soon as possible, as well as help with mission planning. The private sector offers a myriad of ideas the Government can leverage for efficiency, such as AI in healthcare, sustainable energy and creative component and finance management.

DIA Initiatives

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), a service provider on behalf of the defense industry, has a comprehensive IT strategy made up of five key priorities:

Among both classified and unclassified networks, the DoD should implement top secret connection.
With the transition to working from home, employers must enable workplace inclusivity through technology, especially for employees with disabilities.
Enable workers to access data applications from one fully integrated place by consolidating network systems, such as desktop environments.
As internally shared information becomes more complex, the DIA must update technology to strengthen intelligence sharing.
Authorize worldwide connectivity for the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS), the DoD’s house for sensitive information. This means a reliable and secure connection regardless of environment and its proximity to data centers.

By maintaining pace with world class technology such as the cloud and AI, the DoD will lead the nation in secure communication and strategies.

Check our more resources, interviews and highlights from the event floor at DoDIIS at FedGovToday.com.

Applications of Technology in Higher Education at EDUCAUSE

Posted on by Tim Boltz

Technology advancement has resulted in many potential usages for university students and faculty, educational and research institutions and Government agencies. For agencies focused on higher education, taking advantage of new technology can help bolster security and ease student and faculty daily procedures. Industry and education experts joined together at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference for an immersive experience that facilitated collaboration and discussion to promote the advancement of higher education by using information technology (IT).

Leveraging Security Technology Against Ransomware

With the increasing technology usage in everyday life, many higher education agencies are susceptible to cybersecurity threats like ransomware. The education sector is no exception, with attacks ranging from exploited vulnerabilities, to compromised credentials, malicious emails, phishing attempts, brute force attacks and malicious downloads. As ransomware comes with financial loss, it is important for higher education agencies to invest accordingly in cybersecurity. According to industry statistics, 70% of organizations have successfully recovered data using backup mechanisms. This data recovery is not only much simpler than paying the ransom, but it also removed the attack incentive since paying the ransom encourages bad actors to continue attacks. Higher education institutions own and maintain a significant amount of intellectual property as a source of data wealth and research. To protect this information and ensure the safety and financial success of educational institutions, higher education must focus on creating backups and position IT security staff as trusted advisors, fortify their cybersecurity infrastructure and foster a vigilant culture amongst students and faculty.

Digital Services in Education

With a strong cybersecurity base, universities can reap the benefits of both external and internal digital services. External market data can be used to predict internal performance. Data can help define popular markets, from student demand for majors, future employment opportunities and university competitor information. Educational institutions can utilize technology to analyze data and make millions of calculations in a minimal amount of time. With these predictive analytics, education administrations can make informed decisions when forecasting program sizes, enrollment numbers, scholarships and revenue margins.

Universities can utilize digital applications to offer user-friendly functions to support faculty and students with daily tasks such as helping locate class schedules, campus maps, facility wait times, task notifications and other essential remedies for success. Digital applications with collaboration tools and platforms can connect peers and faculty members in a simple and pragmatic way, facilitating communication on projects and learning objectives. On the administrative side, digital services can reduce time spent by automating functions such as credit transfers and transcript evaluations. Institutions can also utilize digital applications to offer automated aid for student requested services, which reduces call center wait times, manual processing errors and delayed accommodations.

The Varied Applications of AI

In the educational space, AI has a multitude of use cases:

AI can detect cyber threats and vulnerabilities, thus protecting student, faculty and stakeholder sensitive information.
By facilitating the automation of routine security tasks, patches and system updates, AI can free up more time for cybersecurity professionals to focus on more complex initiatives, thus creating a more robust security infrastructure.
Schools can utilize AI’s advanced authentication mechanism to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and provide seamless account access for students, faculty and staff.
Institutions are currently using AI to understand the best methods for student retention, a common concern in higher education. Methods such as text-based chat apps are designed to send encouraging messages, tutoring or counseling to students who have been identified as needing additional resources. Text applications can also be used to connect students to enrollment services, tutoring or counseling.
AI’s use of data analytics can facilitate customized learning experiences based on each student’s strengths, weaknesses and learning pace. This includes tailored content, question and answer chatbots and virtual assistants.
Adaptive learning platforms powered by AI can assess individual student performance and deliver tailored content, allowing students to grasp complex concepts at their own pace. This personalized approach enhances student engagement and motivation, ultimately leading to improved academic outcomes.

Since AI will always contain human bias, it is important to apply AI as an additional tool, and not a standalone operation. In maintaining the priority for equality and privacy in the educational sphere, each individual institution must find where AI best fits into their respective organization.

Technology can be utilized to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure, detect compromised systems, analyze data to improve common educational institution functions and improve student performance and morale. By partnering with the IT industry, higher education institutions can posture students and faculty to lead the way to success for the next generation of learners.

To learn more about utilizing IT for education initiatives, view Carahsoft’s Education Technology Solutions Resources.

About Carahsoft in the Education Market

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Education IT Solutions Provider™.

Together with our technology manufacturers and reseller partners, we are committed to providing IT products, services and training to support Education organizations.

Learn more at http://www.carahsoft.com/education

5 Ways to Protect Your Organization from a Cyberattack in 2024

Posted on by Jeff Stewart

As we say goodbye to 2023, we need to prepare to say hello to new cybersecurity threats in 2024. The Department of Homeland Security is already there, having published its annual Homeland Threat Assessment, which predicts “more evasive cyberattacks” thanks to cyber actors using artificial intelligence (AI) and other modern technologies to circumvent company defenses.

Protecting your organization will require a sound strategy that wards off threats and takes the fight to the attackers. Here are five best practices to help you do both.

1. Develop a playbook of response strategies and tactics

Your playbook should include detailed instructions on how to handle a cybersecurity incident, from start to finish, and who’s responsible for what. Key components of a cybersecurity playbook include:

Descriptions of potential attack methods
Steps required to effectively respond to and contain an attack
Roles and responsibilities of response team members
Remediation procedures
Details on how to handle media inquiries, customer, and partner communications, etc.
Processes for a post-incident review and analysis

Hopefully, you will never have to use your playbook. If you do, it will provide you with a standardized blueprint that will allow you to respond to an attack methodically and effectively.

2. Conduct fast and effective diagnostics

Time is of the essence during a cyberattack. Therefore, it is essential to conduct accurate and effective diagnostics as fast as possible.

Not only will you want to identify where the attack originated, but you’ll also need to quickly ascertain where it has or could spread. This requires finding gaps and vulnerabilities in your network where a virus or piece of malicious code could take root. Unfortunately, network complexity gives attackers better cover and more opportunities to hide.

Observability solutions cut through the noise and provide visibility across your entire ecosystem. Observability is different from traditional network monitoring; whereas the latter is more reactive, observability proactively detects anomalies before they become real issues. Plus, with complete visibility into the entire ecosystem, there’s no need to waste time sifting through alerts or hunting down problems. Teams can respond quickly, ensuring high resiliency.

3. Communicate openly, honestly, quickly, and continuously

Effective communication is critical to cybersecurity threat mitigation. When a threat manifests, alert impacted internal departments through secure channels so as not to tip off the attackers that you know they’re in your network. Then, communicate with law enforcement, including the FBI. Finally, reach out to customers and partners. Keep all parties apprised in the weeks and months following the attack.

If you have created a playbook, you will know who to contact and how—because you will have planned for it. You will know, for example, that it will be up to your communications team for outreach to the press, customers, and other third parties.

Your communication must be clear and honest. Tell your stakeholders what you know when you know it. Inevitably, someone is going to ask, “Am I affected?” You may not know, and that is OK—just tell them what you do know. Likewise, you will likely be fighting misinformation. Do not get sidetracked. Continue to tell the truth and communicate openly as much as possible.

4. Enlist third-party partners for help

There are many reasons why you should not take on a cyberattack alone. First, an attack can be too complex and far-ranging for your internal team to handle on its own. It is better to have an outside party that can help with auditing your networks to ensure gaps have been remediated in the wake of an incident. Second, third-party cybersecurity experts can be invaluable in providing guidance, investigative support, and consultation as you navigate through the attack. Your team is going to be busy handling any number of tasks and will appreciate their perspectives.

Outside parties can also help get your truth out to the public. Following the SUNBURST attack, we enlisted the help of reputable organizations like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), the Krebs Stamos Group, and others. In addition to assisting in the investigation, they helped us tell the story of what happened, which went a long way toward combatting misinformation.

5. Implement a “Secure by Design” approach

You have likely heard about shifting left—building security into the foundation of your products, rather than adding it on later. I recommend taking this mindset a step further and adopting a Secure by Design approach, where security becomes a cornerstone of your entire organization.

Secure by Design includes all the best practices listed here, as well as building out your cybersecurity team, auditing applications throughout their development, and engaging with the broader community to learn and share information. It also entails adopting an “assume breach” mindset, where you assume that an asset has already been breached, determine the possible implications, and come up with fixes to limit exposure.

As we turn the calendar page, attackers may have the advantage, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Hopefully, these best practices will help gain the upper hand—and protect your organization in 2024 and beyond.

Reach out to the SolarWinds team to learn more about how you can prepare your organization.

The 12 Artificial Intelligence Events for Government in 2024

Posted on by Mike Adams

Last year set a landmark standard for innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). Federal, State, and Local Governments and Federal Systems Integrators are eager to learn how they can implement AI technology within their agencies. With the recent Presidential Executive Order for AI, many Public Sector-focused events in 2024 will explore AI modernizations, from accelerated computing in cloud to the data center, secure generative AI, cybersecurity, workforce planning and more.

We have compiled the top AI events for Government for 2024 that you will not want to miss.

1. AI for Government Summit

May 2, 2024, Reston, VA | In-Person Event

The AI for Government Summit is a half-day event designed to bring together Government officials, AI experts and industry leaders to explore the transformative potential of AI in the public sector. As Governments worldwide increasingly adopt AI technologies to enhance efficiency, improve services and address complex challenges, this summit will serve as a platform for collaboration, discussion and sharing knowledge on the latest advancements and best practices in AI deployment within Government organizations.

Sessions to look out for: Cybersecurity & AI – Safeguarding the Government and Generative AI Government Use Case Panel

Carahsoft is proud to host this inaugural event alongside FedInsider. Join us and over 100 of our AI & machine learning technology and solution providers as they speak towards AI adoption in our Public Sector and how they are using AI to solve our government’s most critical challenges. Attendees will also hear from top government decision-makers as they share unique insights into their current AI projects.

2. NVIDIA GTC

March 18 – 21, 2024, San Jose, CA | Hybrid Event

Come connect with a dream team of industry luminaries, developers, researchers, and business strategists helping shape what’s next in AI and accelerated computing. From the highly anticipated keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to over 600 inspiring sessions, 200+ exhibits, and tons of unique networking events, GTC delivers something for every technical level and interest area. Whether you join us in person or virtually, you are in for an incredible experience at the conference for the era of AI.

Sessions to look out for: What’s Next in Generative AI and Robotics in the Age of Generative AI

Carahsoft serves as NVIDIA’s Master Aggregator working with resellers, systems integrators, and consultants. Our team provides NVIDIA products, services, and training through hundreds of contract vehicles.

Carahsoft is proud to be the host of the GTC Public Sector Reception on Tuesday, March 19^th.

Please visit Carahsoft and our partners at the following booths:

Government IT Solutions: Carahsoft (#1726), Government Acquisitions (#1820), World Wide Technology (#929)
AI/ML & Data Analytics: Anaconda (#1701), Dataiku (#1704), Datadog (#1033), DataRobot (#1603), Deepgram (#1719), Domino Data Labs (#1612), Gretel.AI (G130), H2O.AI (G124), HEAVY.AI (#1803), Kinetica (I132), Lilt (I123), Primer.AI (I126), Red Hat (#1605), Run:AI (#1408), Snowflake (#930), Weights & Biases (#1505 & G115)
AI Infrastructure: Dell (#1216), DDN (#1521), Edge Impulse (#434), Lambda Data Lab (#616), Lenovo (#1740), Liqid (#1525), Pure Storage (#1529), Rescale (#1804), Rendered.AI (#330), Supermicro (#1016), Weka (#1517)
Industry Leaders: AWS (#708), Google Cloud (#808), HPE (#408), Hitachi Vantara (#308), IBM (#1324), Microsoft (#1108), VAST Data (#1424), VMware (#1604)

3. 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

March 21, 2024, Falls Church, VA | In-Person Event

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit, where federal leaders and industry experts converge to explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Discover innovative AI advancements, engage in dynamic discussions, and forge strategic collaborations with key partners at this annual gathering of the movers and shakers in the AI field. Hosted by Executive Mosaic, this summit will be held in Falls Church, Virginia.

Sessions to look out for: Leveraging Collaboration to Accelerate AI Adoption in the DoD and Operationalizing AI in Government: Getting Things Done with Automation

Carahsoft is the master aggregator for Percipient AI, a Silver Sponsor, and Primer AI, the Platinum Sponsor. Mark Brunner, President of Federal at Primer AI, will also be speaking at the event.

4. INSA Spring Symposium: How AI is Transforming the IC

April, 4, 2024, Arlington, VA | In-Person Event

Join 300+ intelligence and national security professionals at INSA’s Spring Symposium, How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the IC, on Thursday, April 4, from 8:00 am-4:30 pm at the INSA/NRECA Conference Center in Arlington, VA. Key leaders from government, academia, and industry will discuss cutting-edge AI innovations transforming intelligence analysis, top priorities and concerns from government stakeholders, developments in ethics and oversight, challenges and opportunities facing the public and private sector and more!

Session to look out for: AI Ready? Challenges from a Data-Centric Viewpoint

Meet with Carahsoft partners AWS, Google Cloud, Intel, and Primer.

5. Google Next ‘24

April 9 – 11, Las Vegas, NV | In-Person Event

Explore new horizons in AI at Google Cloud Next ’24 in Las Vegas, April 9–11 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Dive into AI use cases, learn how to stay ahead of cyberthreats with frontline intelligence and AI powered security and boost data and thrive in a new era of AI. Plus, see our latest in AI, productivity and collaboration, and security from Google Public Sector.

Carahsoft will be a sponsor of Google Next ‘24 with a significant public sector presence and plans to host a reception as well.

6. SC24

November 17 – 22, 2024, Atlanta, GA | Hybrid Event

Supercomputing (SC) is the longest running and largest high performance computing conference. SC is an unparalleled mix of thousands of scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, programmers, and developers. Hosted by The Association for Computing Machinery & IEEE Computer Society, SC24 is hosted in Atlanta, Georgia.

Carahsoft is proud to attend SC24 for a fourth year as the master aggregator serving the public sector. Carahsoft will be hosting an extensive partner pavilion showcasing daily demos of our technology and solution partners, demonstrating use-cases in AI and HPC intended for higher-ed organizations, research institutions, government agencies, and more.

Join us at our public sector reception for a night of networking with leading decision-makers and solution experts on November 20.

7. Elastic Public Sector Summit ‘24

March 13, 2024, Pentagon City, VA | In-Person Event

Join top Federal program executives and IT leaders to learn firsthand how advances in data management, search and analytics capabilities are helping agencies turn data into mission value faster and more productively for citizens and Government employees. Learn how agencies are leveraging these capabilities for cybersecurity, operational resilience, and preparing for the new era of generative AI. FedScoop, Elastic and Carahsoft will co-host this summit in Pentagon City, Virginia.

As a top-level sponsor of Elastic’s Public Sector Summit, Carahsoft will host a pavilion on the exhibit floor that features Elastic’s foremost technology partners for the hundreds of projected government attendees.

8. CDAO Government

September 17 – 19, 2024, Washington DC | In-Person Event

This event brings together the latest technological advancements and practical examples to apply key data-driven strategies to solve challenges in Government and greater society. Join a unique mix of academia, industry and Government thought leaders at the forefront of research and explore real-world case studies to discover the value of data and analytics. Located in Washington, D.C., CDAO Government will be hosted by Corinium Intelligence.

Carahsoft was proud to be a Premier Sponsor at the 2023 CDAO Government, involving numerous of our vendor partners, Cloudera, and HP, Alation, Informatica, Progress|MarkLogic, Snowflake, and Tyler Technologies, Alteryx, Coursera, DataRobot, Databricks, Elastic, Immuta, Primer AI, and Qlik.

Carahsoft looks forward to participating as a leading sponsor again at the 2024 CDAO Government.

9. OODACON

November 5 – 6, Reston, VA | In-Person Event

The world is at a transition point where technology is enabling rapid changes that can drive both positive and negative outcomes for humanity. It is also empowering many bad actors and poses new threats. The essence of OODAcon lies in its capacity to forge a robust community of leaders, experts, and practitioners that serve as a collective force that can propel us towards a brighter future.

Join us at the Carahsoft Conference and Collaboration Center to discuss how disruptive technology can solve the most pressing issues of today.

10. AWS Public Sector Summit

June 26-27, 2024, Washington DC | In-Person Event

Join Carahsoft and our partners for two days on innovation, collaboration and global representation. Designed to unite the global cloud computing community, AWS Summits are designed to educate customers about AWS products and services, providing them with the skills they’ll need in order to build, deploy, and operate their infrastructure and applications.

As a top-level sponsor of AWS’ Public Sector Summit, Carahsoft will host a pavilion on the exhibit floor that features AWS’ foremost technology partners for the thousands of projected government attendees.

Learn More About Previously Held Events

11. CDAO Advantage DoD24 Defense Data & AI Symposium

Carahsoft was at CDAO’s inaugural Advantage DoD 2024: Defense Data & AI Symposium from February 20th to 22nd at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The symposium provided a platform for over 1000 government officials, industry leaders, academia, and partners to converge and explore the latest advancements in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence in support of the U.S. Department of Defense mission. Carahsoft had a small tabletop partner pavilion, featuring our vendor partners Alteryx, DataRobot, Collibra, Elastic, Databricks, PTFS, EDB, Weights & Biases, and Clarifai.

Throughout the symposium, attendees from diverse backgrounds, including technical programmers, policymakers, and human resources professionals, gained valuable insights into emerging technologies and best practices for integrating data-driven strategies into organizational frameworks. Attendees also enjoyed two networking receptions hosted by Booz Allen Hamilton and C3.ai.

The agenda featured compelling speaking sessions including topics such as:

Task Force Lima – The Way Forward (Goals and Progress)
LLMs and Cybersecurity: Practical Examples and a Look Ahead
DoD GenAI Use Cases and Acceptability Criterias

12. Using Generative AI & Machine Learning in the Enterprise

This intimate one-day 500-person conference curated data science sessions to bring industry leaders and specialists face-to-face to educate one another on innovative solutions in generative AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and best practices. Attendees saw a mix of use-cases, technical talks, and workshops, and walked away with actionable insights from those working on the frontlines of machine learning in the enterprise. Hosted by Data Science Salon, the event was held in Austin, Texas.

Carahsoft partners NVIDIA and John Snow Labs were in attendance; two leading AI and Machine Learning solution providers. Carahsoft serves as the master aggregator for both NVIDIA and John Snow Labs to provide government agencies with solutions that fulfill mission needs from trustworthy technology and industry partners.

While the landscape of government events has always been in flux, the pace of change in 2024 feels downright dizzying. From navigating hybrid gatherings to crafting data-driven experiences, the pressure is on to connect, inform, and engage. This is where the power of AI steps in, not as a silver bullet, but as a toolbox brimming with innovative solutions. Carahsoft’s curated list of Top 12 AI for Government Events is just the starting point. So, do not let the future intimidate you; embrace it. Dive into the possibilities, explore these AI tools, and get ready to redefine what a government event can be. Your citizens—and your data—will thank you.

To learn more or get involved in any of the above events please contact us at AITeam@carahsoft.com. For more information on Carahsoft and our industry leading AI technology partners’ events, visit our AI solutions portfolio and events page.

Building a Foundation for an AI Future

Posted on by Mike Adams

It might seem like agencies are hesitant to adopt artificial intelligence. But really, it is quite the opposite. As Lori Wade, the Intelligence Community’s chief data officer, put it: “It is no longer just about the volume of data, it is about who can collect, access, exploit and gain actionable insight the fastest.” The realization is clear: Humans alone cannot keep pace. They need AI so they can make decisions based on the most relevant and most current information — and make those decisions in a timely manner. It is really as simple as that. Download the guide, “Building the Foundation for Your AI Future,” to pick up pointers on data management and AI, plus take a glimpse at the latest technology developments, tips for best practices and an explanation of the early value that AI is delivering to agencies across government.

How to Revolutionize Government Translation with Generative AI

“In situations where accurate and timely translations are crucial, the shortage of qualified and vetted linguists poses significant challenges. Equally, non-linguist analysts are not equipped with secure, at-desk tools to translate foreign language material at the speed of relevance. For example, during the ongoing war in Ukraine, there has been a scarcity of linguists available to provide real-time updates on the ground. This shortage not only has affected the ability to gather vital intelligence but also hindered the timely dissemination of information to national security and defense agencies in the U.S. and abroad.”

Read more insights from Jesse Rosenbaum, Vice President of Business Development and National Security at Lilt.

How Graph Databases Drive a Paradigm Shift in Data Platform Technology

“Federal agencies are awash in data. With recent modernization efforts, including the wide-scale adoption of cloud platforms and applications, it is easier than ever for agencies to receive streaming data on everything from logistics to finances to cybersecurity. But that volume of data requires new solutions to process and analyze it. Older methods like SQL and NoSQL simply are not up to the task of analyzing all of the connections between the government’s many massive databases. That is where the new graph paradigm of data platform technology comes in.”

Read more insights from Michael Moore, Principal for Partner Solutions and Technology at Neo4j.

How Agencies Can Upskill in AI to Achieve a Data Mesh Model

“Data mesh behavior actually goes a step further. AI has become so easy to use, business owners can actually join in the development alongside the data scientists. Therein lies the challenge: Upskilling subject matter experts across an entire organization is a big lift. The way it works best is to start with a center of excellence, a small group of people who begin working with business owners across the enterprise, office by office. They can then prove the value and evangelize it, and then the agency can move to a hub-and-spoke model, where the data scientists are co-developing alongside business owners. As successes pile up, the data scientists can take a step back and allow frontline workers to do the development, governing the new data products on their own.”

Read more insights from Doug Bryan, Field Chief Data Officer at Dataiku.

How Agencies Can Build a Data Foundation for Generative AI

“Generative artificial intelligence tools are making waves in the technology world, most famously ChatGPT. Although the code of these tools is significant, their real power stems from the data they are trained on. Gathering and correctly formatting the data, then transforming it to yield accurate predictions, often represents the most challenging aspect of developing these tools. Federal agencies that want to start leveraging generative AI already have massive amounts of data on which to train the technology. But to successfully implement these tools, they need to ensure the quality of their data before trusting any decisions they might make.”

Read more insights from Nasheb Ismaily, Principal Solutions Engineer at Cloudera.

How to Democratize Data as a Catalyst for Effective Decision-Making

“One of the key best practices in the Office of Management and Budget’s Federal Data Strategy calls for using data to guide decision-making. But that is easier said than done when the ability to analyze the data, much less access it, is limited to an agency’s often overworked and understaffed data science specialists. But now that every line of federal business has their own data silo and a mandate to use that data to guide decisions, agencies need a way to democratize access to that data and empower every federal employee to become an analyst.”

Read more insights from Kevin Woo, Director of Federal Sales at Alteryx.

Download the full Expert Edition for more insights from these artificial intelligence leaders, additional government interviews, historical perspectives and industry research.