Tag Archives: Federal Government

From Compliance to Capability: Key Insights from CS5 CMMC Global Conference 2025

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The CS5 CMMC Global Conference 2025, the official conference of The Cyber AB, brought together more than 1,000 senior leaders from the Department of War (DOW), the Cyber AB, Federal agencies and the broader Defense Industrial Base (DIB) in Washington, D.C. The conference served as the essential gathering for defense contractors and DIB suppliers to chart the next phase of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) implementation, cyber resilience and supply chain security.  Speakers explored key themes, including:

  • CMMC’s Next Phase: Turning Compliance into Capability and Defending the Digital Nation
  • AI-Driven Compliance
  • Driving Operational Excellence through Documentation
  • Combat Readiness: Scaling Across the Defense Ecosystem
  • Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience

CMMC’s Next Phase

Turning Compliance into Capability

CMMC’s next phase represents precision in action and marks a national shift from policy compliance to operational defense. The United States now views information security as a foundational element of national defense. Safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), whether technical information, operational intelligence or logistical data, is inseparable from mission readiness and warfighter support. The DIB now operates as the digital frontline of national security, where compliance is no longer optional but an essential layer of protection.

Defending the Digital Nation

Contractors demonstrate that they not only meet Federal requirements but also actively share the responsibility of defending the nation’s digital infrastructure. CMMC represents both a compliance framework and a patriotic commitment to protecting critical information, ensuring that data remains secure in an era where proximity to the battlefield no longer determines risk.

AI-Driven Compliance

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the CMMC landscape by acting as a force multiplier for speed, accuracy and operational efficiency. Across the Defense Industrial Base, AI-enabled tools are drafting policies, tagging evidence, detecting anomalies and summarizing documentation that once required extensive manual effort. Large language models (LLMs) can rapidly produce preliminary content that validates cybersecurity readiness and synthesizes complex data, enabling DIB contractors to prepare security readiness at scale. Speakers emphasized the need for human oversight to ensure that AI-generated output is validated and aligned with compliance integrity, as automation without governance creates new vulnerabilities. In practice, organizations should leverage AI to enhance efficiency and maintain traceable audit trails, while reserving decision-making, evidence validation and risk assessment for qualified staff. 

When implemented responsibly, AI enables a balanced model of collaboration between human expertise and machine efficiency, accelerating readiness without compromising accountability or security.

Driving Operational Excellence through Documentation

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) platforms serve as key accelerators by automating version controls, maintaining audit trails, centralizing repositories and linking policies directly to evidence. Updating documentation frequently ensures team alignment and simplifies compliance upkeep as levels role out and evaluations are conducted. Embedding documentation into corporate culture ensures long-term sustainability and empowers teams to focus on meaningful security efforts rather than reactive updates.

Best Practices:

  • Automate version controls and standardizes templates to ensure consistency
  • Use GRC systems to consolidate documentation and eliminate silos
  • Treat documentation as continuous validation: write it, organize it and prove it
  • Integrate compliance reviews into routine workflows to sustain readiness and confidence

Combat Readiness: Scaling Across the Defense Ecosystem

The official enforcement of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations on November 10, 2025, will operationalize CMMC as a mandatory requirement for Federal contracts, transforming cybersecurity from a best practice into an enforceable procurement standard across the DIB.

As CMMC Phase 1 begins, compliance must be achievable and affordable, particularly for small and mid-sized contractors that anchor the defense supply chain. Organizations should use this time to budget to train and develop strategies for compliance, leveraging hyperscalers and automation to accelerate readiness. Speakers emphasized that scalable readiness, supported by harmonized frameworks and the reduction of overlapping requirements, is critical to sustaining momentum toward full certification.

Early preparation is essential, as a limited number of assessors may create scheduling delays once enforcement expands. Companies that act now by documenting, training and aligning their operations with Federal standards will not only meet compliance expectations but also reinforce their resilience, competitiveness and commitment to securing the nation’s defense ecosystem.

Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience

High-profile cyber intrusions reaffirmed a simple truth: supply chain security is the foundation of national security. Every organization must know what it protects, how it protects it and how that protection is verified through certification. Compliance is no longer just a cost of doing business; it is both a competitive advantage and a national defense imperative. Contractors should prepare their teams to understand eligibility requirements, strengthen internal controls and treat certification as an investment in long-term success. By embedding compliance into corporate culture and operational workflows, companies not only safeguard data but also enhance brand credibility, reduce systemic risk and ensure continuity of operations across the DIB.

Each contractor that fortifies its cyber posture strengthens the resilience of the entire supply chain because securing the DIB is securing the nation.

How Carahsoft Can Help

Whether your organization is preparing for its first CMMC assessment or advancing its cybersecurity maturity, there are continuous opportunities to strengthen readiness and collaboration across the Defense Industrial Base.

Explore CMMC Resources

Visit Carahsoft’s CMMC page to access compliance guides, vendor solutions and educational content designed to support Defense Industrial Base organizations at every maturity level. From understanding capability domains to preparing for assessments, our resources help organizations make informed decisions throughout their CMMC journey.

Download our comprehensive Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Framework Guide to understand the requirements, assessment processes and best practices for achieving CMMC compliance across all maturity levels.

Connect with CMMC Experts

Gaining CMMC compliance can be a complex and time-consuming process, but Carahsoft can guide your organization through every stage. Partnered with more than 200 cybersecurity vendors, Carahsoft connects DIB organizations with the right technologies, service providers and experts to address every maturity level and capability domain.

Contact the Carahsoft Team at (888) 662-2724 or CMMC@carahsoft.com to discuss your organization’s specific compliance needs and discover tailored solutions from our network of cybersecurity partners.

Attend Upcoming CMMC Events

Stay informed on the latest CMMC developments through Carahsoft-hosted workshops, webinars and training sessions. Through our network of partners, policy insights and educational events, Carahsoft helps organizations advance their cybersecurity maturity and meet evolving compliance requirements. Register to receive updates on upcoming CMMC-focused events and training opportunities.

The Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Government Programs

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A Government’s ability to lead, protect and serve is tied to how boldly it embraces technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept. It’s a force already redefining the way agencies operate, safeguard resources and deliver services. In an era where global competitors are racing ahead with automation and advanced analytics, standing still is not an option. Agencies that adopt AI strategically will not only keep pace but set new standards for effectiveness, transparency and citizen trust.

Key Use Cases for Artificial Intelligence in Government

Across the Public Sector, AI is moving beyond pilot projects into critical programs. Government agencies are weaving AI into their daily operations. They are detecting fraud before it drains budgets, automating compliance that once accounted for many staff hours and analyzing risks too complicated for manual review. The practical applications are real, measurable and growing. What once seemed like gradual innovation is quickly becoming a foundation for modern governance.

Common AI use cases in Government include:

Fraud detection and prevention

The U.S. Government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion a year to fraud. While no agency is immune to fraud, AI is helping the Government fight back. For example:

  • The Treasury Departmentuses machine learning to detect fraud in real time, enabling it to recover over $4 billion in fraudulent funds during fiscal year 2024.
  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)has integrated AI in its fraud prevention system to review claims before payment. Between January and August 2025 alone, it denied over 800,000 fraudulent claims, saving more than $141 million.
  • The IRS uses AI-powered tools, such as the Risk-Based Collection Model, to improve fraud detection and reduce the tax gap.

Compliance reporting

Compliance is time-consuming for agencies, but AI is now automating much of the process. Agencies use AI to monitor real-time data and flag inconsistencies to simplify reporting. With these capabilities, AI enables greater transparency and faster responses to regulatory requirements.

While AI doesn’t replace human oversight, it frees staff to focus on higher-value analysis, cutting the time and costs of compliance. A good example is the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) use of natural language processing to automate reporting for financial markets. It processes millions of filings and generates compliance reports to improve enforcement efficiency.

Risk management

Government programs face constant risks:

  • Operational
  • Financial
  • Security
  • Environmental
  • Third-party exposure

AI in Government is already helping agencies with minimum risk management practices. For instance, automating third-party risk management with AI-enabled Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) platforms helps agencies assess vendor reliability and track compliance to reduce exposure.

Supply chain monitoring

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of the public supply chain. AI is now helping the Government strengthen resilience with real-time monitoring.

Machine learning models predict bottlenecks to help agencies optimize their logistics. Additionally, enhanced visibility allows policymakers to proactively mitigate third-party risks in the supply chain, as they can monitor vendors and flag vulnerabilities before they escalate.

Policy cycle integration

Public policies move through cycles: setting the agenda, designing solutions, implementing programs and evaluating results. AI has a role at each stage.

Policy cycle stageAI’s roles
Agenda-settingAnalyzes citizen feedback and emerging trends to identify priorities
Solution development Models the likely impact of different policy options
ImplementationAutomates program operations
EvaluationMeasures outcomes against goals

Used thoughtfully, AI makes the policy cycle more evidence-driven and adaptive.

Citizen services

According to a 2024 Salesforce report, 75% of Americans expect Government digital technologies to match the quality of the best private sector organizations. To meet these expectations, U.S. and State Government agencies are using:

  • Chatbots to answer common questions and improve the availability of Government services
  • Digital assistants to provide personalized help and handle more complex inquiries
  • Self-service portals to let citizens complete tasks like renewing licenses on their own

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Government

Beyond mere modernization, embracing AI in Government delivers measurable value:

Increased efficiency and productivity

According to a 2023 McKinsey report, generative AI can automate 60%–70% of tasks and add $2.6–4.4 trillion annually to global productivity. Federal and State agencies are using AI to reduce repetitive tasks such as data entry and document reviews to free Government employees’ time for more strategic efforts. This shift in focus raises productivity without adding headcount.

Improved strategy

Insights from AI help policymakers see the bigger picture. Agencies use predictive analytics to forecast outcomes and test scenarios so they can design public policies to prevent undesirable outcomes to begin with, instead of just reacting to them.

Greater responsiveness

AI makes public services more responsive. Examples include agencies using chatbots to answer citizens’ questions and sentiment analysis tools to better listen to community concerns.

Implementation Challenges that Hinder the Strategic Use of AI in Government

While AI is already delivering results in Government agencies, several obstacles hinder its broader adoption.

Skill gaps and training

A 2024 Salesforce survey found that 60% of Public Sector IT professionals say limited AI skill is their top challenge in implementing AI.

Data biases and ethics

AI learns from data that often reflects existing societal inequities, which can perpetuate or even amplify bias.

Data management

Many agencies rely on siloed or outdated systems. In fact, the Federal Government faces a $100 billion legacy IT challenge, making it difficult to integrate and secure data effectively.

Public trust

Government agencies are expected to operate with a high degree of accountability and transparency. Public skepticism, shaped with legitimate concerns about bias and privacy, may stall or derail AI initiatives.

The Way Forward: Building Smarter, Trustworthy Public Programs

The potential of AI in Government is huge, but so are the risks. To enjoy the benefits while protecting public trust, it’s important to follow best practices for managing AI risks:

  • Treat AI as a strategic asset that drives smart, citizen-focused outcomes, rather than just a technical tool.
  • Pair AI with human oversight to address biases and provide context in decision-making, so the outcomes remain fair and ethical.
  • Invest in responsible governance frameworks to guide the development and deployment of AI within your agency.
  • Monitor AI continuously after deployment to address any unintended consequences.

Managing AI in GRC Solutions

Billington CyberSecurity Summit: AI Takes Center Stage

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Premier U.S. Government cyber conference previews AI on offense, on defense and as a target

  • While adversaries can boost the quality and volume of attacks with artificial intelligence (AI), defenders will apply AI to counter attacks with predictive and proactive defenses.
  • The advent of Agentic AIs will accelerate this trend and provide more avenues for attack, but defenders will always have the advantage by being able to train AIs with proprietary information and use them to identify vulnerabilities before attackers do.
  • The transition to post-quantum cryptography will be an industry-wide heavy lift, with extensive rewriting of code to meet post-quantum standards.

Recently, I had the opportunity to share some of my experience and insights at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit in Washington, D.C. Moderated by Chris Townsend, Global Vice President of Public Sector at Elastic, our panel session, “The Future of Cyber Threat: Anticipating Threat Actors’ Next Steps,” explored how threat actors are evolving and what organizations can do now to prepare. Not surprisingly, AI was a hot topic. We also discussed quantum computing, emerging threats and the cybersecurity staffing shortage.

How Attackers Will Leverage AI

Attackers are already using AI to power their attacks, but it is important not to over-sensationalize the impact that AI is having because the proportion of AI-driven attacks is still quite small relative to the overall amount of malicious activity we are seeing. However, we expect that proportion to grow quickly.

One of the main ways attackers are using it now is to create phishing materials, because it addresses what is a weak point for many threat actors, who often are not native English speakers. Attacks that are technically sophisticated can fail because they begin with a spear phishing email whose spelling or grammar is wrong. Large Language Models (LLMs) solve that problem brilliantly because if there is one thing they are good at, it is creating plausible narratives in perfect English.

The other area we see attackers using it is to automate their work. We have already documented examples of code that appears to have been written by an AI.

In the short term, AI will not enable adversaries to do anything new, but we expect it to enhance the quality and volume of their attacks. AI is lowering the entry bar for threat actors. They do not even need to know how to code anymore. Naturally, the number of attacks will begin to go up.

In the medium term, the arrival of Agentic AI is likely to accelerate malicious activity levels, since agents can act autonomously, further minimizing the level of input needed from attackers.

We have already done some research on how agents could be abused and proven that they can already be used to carry out a basic spear phishing attack and deliver malicious code to a target. Agents are still in their infancy, and it is only a matter of time before they become capable of carrying out more sophisticated attacks with minimal instruction.

Preparing For the Quantum Era

The advent of quantum computing presents another significant challenge for cybersecurity. Quantum computers have the potential to break current encryption standards, making it imperative for organizations to transition to post-quantum encryption algorithms.

Adversaries are already preparing for this shift. The “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy involves stealing encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computing becomes viable.

This process of transitioning to post-quantum encryption is not without its challenges. Decades of work have gone into refining and protecting the implementation of existing encryption methods, and we now face the task of revising and rewriting code using new, post-quantum standards. This will inevitably introduce a new generation of bugs, but we will have the benefit of AI to mitigate them.

It Does Not Stop Here

Conferences such as Billington are essential as we navigate this complex landscape. It embodies the Public and Private Sector collaboration that will be key to realizing better cyber defense outcomes moving forward. Together, with partners like Carahsoft delivering mission-critical industry expertise to U.S. Federal and Public Sector agencies, we can anticipate and counter the next generation of cyber threats, ensuring the safety and resilience of our digital ecosystems.

Learn more about how industry icons like Symantec and Carbon Black are putting AI on the front lines of cybersecurity.

Want to learn how Symantec, Carbon Black and Carahsoft can strengthen your cybersecurity posture? Contact us at Broadcom@Carahsoft.com for more information.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Broadcom, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

This post originally appeared on security.com, and is re-published with permission.

Tightening Federal OT Cyber Incident Reporting For Critical Infrastructure

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Process-Oriented OT Cybersecurity with SIGA

Federal agencies and regulated operators of critical infrastructure are entering a new phase in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity. While many sectors have long followed voluntary guidance such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-82 Revision 3, recent years have seen a steady tightening of Federal cyber incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure. This trend continues in 2025 with additional sector-specific rules taking effect and the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) moving toward its final rule.

From Guidance to Requirements

Federal oversight of OT cybersecurity has moved beyond broad guidelines into a phase where specific reporting obligations are being set by sector. The shift reflects a growing emphasis on timely and consistent incident data that can be used for coordinated national response.

In 2025, several key developments are shaping the landscape:

Federal OT Cyber Incident Reporting, blog, embedded image, 2025
  • Pipelines: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Directive Pipeline-2021-02F, effective May 3, 2025, continues to require mitigation measures, testing and contingency planning for pipeline operators. These measures have been in place since the Colonial Pipeline incident and are now firmly embedded in regulatory practice.
  • Water and Wastewater: The EPA Water Sector Cybersecurity Program has updated its technical assistance and incident-response guidance. While participation is voluntary, the program mirrors many of the practices found in regulated sectors, indicating where expectations are headed.
  • CIRCIA: The Act is expected to be finalized in late 2025. Once in effect, it will require reporting significant incidents within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours, creating a cross-sector Federal baseline for incident reporting.

For Public Sector operators in energy, transportation, water and other essential services, these actions confirm that Federal expectations are moving toward consistent, evidence-based incident reporting across critical infrastructure.

The Reporting Challenge in OT Environments

Meeting Federal reporting requirements depends not only on having the right policies in place but also on the ability to detect and verify incidents quickly. In OT environments, many cyber events start as small changes in process behavior that do not appear in traditional network monitoring. When these early signs go unnoticed, agencies may be unable to confirm the incident, assess its impact or provide the detailed operational evidence that regulators require.

In the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (commonly referred to as the Purdue Model), Level Zero refers to the lowest layer of an industrial control system. This is where raw input and output (I/O) signals from field devices report the actual status of equipment such as pumps, valves, circuit breakers and turbines. These electrical signals are the first and most reliable indicators of what is happening in a physical process, and they exist independently of the network data that higher levels use.

Without visibility into Level Zero, operators face several obstacles:

  • Difficulty confirming whether a cyber event has actually affected operations
  • Limited ability to quantify operational and safety impacts with precision
  • Gaps in the time-stamped evidence needed to meet short Federal reporting windows

The challenge is heightened in environments that mix aging legacy systems with modernized control platforms. These environments often lack unified monitoring, making it harder to capture the unaltered operational data regulators now expect.

Why Process-Oriented OT Cybersecurity Matters

In the Purdue Model, Level Zero is the process interface where the control system reads and drives raw I/O signals. Those unprocessed signals provide the closest, most reliable view of real operating conditions, so early signs of a cyber-physical impact frequently show up there first.

Process-oriented OT cybersecurity focuses on monitoring these raw signals in real time. By capturing them out of band from the operational network, agencies gain a trusted source of truth that cannot be spoofed or altered by a network-based attack. This data enables:

  • Clear timelines of operational changes before, during and after an incident
  • Early detection of anomalies that may indicate tampering or failure
  • Reliable forensic evidence for post-incident reporting and compliance audits

This approach bridges the gap between traditional IT security tools and the operational realities of critical infrastructure, ensuring that reporting requirements can be met with both speed and accuracy.

SIGA’s Role in Compliance Readiness

SIGA delivers process-oriented OT cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. SigaGuard connects directly to control-system I/O modules and continuously monitors raw electrical signals at Level 0, entirely out of band from the operational network. This preserves system performance and provides a tamper-proof view of operational data.

SigaGuardX: Early Threat Detection
SigaGuardX supports evidence-based determination of when a cyber event is underway. It classifies whether activity reflects normal operations or an OT cyber breach by applying multiple artificial intelligence (AI) models and cross-referencing the MITRE database of known attacks. It also performs real-time comparisons between Level 0 signal behavior and data from Levels 1 through 4 to surface possible false-data injection attacks, including Stuxnet-like patterns.

Siga-PAS: Process Attack Simulation
Software-based simulated anomalies replicate real-world attack scenarios. Siga-PAS enables agencies to prepare for and respond to OT-specific threats without disrupting ongoing operations, while validating detection logic, incident playbooks and reporting workflows.

Compliance Outcomes

  • High-fidelity operational evidence that aligns with CIRCIA and sector-specific reporting requirements
  • Regulator-ready forensic records of sequence, scope and impact
  • Faster reporting through actionable alerts with operational context
  • Rapid verification of whether a cyber event affected critical processes

By integrating SIGA’s Level 0 monitoring into existing security operations, agencies can meet tightening Federal reporting requirements and improve their ability to detect, contain and recover from OT cyber incidents. This strengthens both regulatory compliance and the continuity of essential public services.

Visit Carahsoft’s SIGA solutions page to learn more about how SIGA’s cyber-physical security solutions can strengthen your agency’s infrastructure.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including SIGA, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Transforming Public Services: A Digital Approach to Efficiency and Trust

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Since the founding of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 1921, efficiency has been a focus of the Federal Government. According to the legislation, the GAO aims to provide “greater economy and efficiency in the conduct of public service” and has been integral in the effort to aid our Government to do more with less. Today, this mission continues with the adoption of modern technologies to expand Government outreach. The adoption of modern technology allows for increases in interactions such as website visits, applications for services and public outreach. The hope is that building on these foundations of new technology will meet and improve public expectations (Pew Research).

Designing Trusted Digital Services

Today’s digital world has brought about a rising set of expectations from the constituents that public agencies work with. People now expect their Public Sector experiences to be on par with their favorite online retailers. This is likely why digital services are a priority of both the “America by Design” Executive Order and State CIOs (NASCIO 2025). To meet these expectations and create trusted services, Government websites need their digital offerings to be intuitive, personalized and responsive to the needs of every user. Making every interaction count is what is important. Everything from the smallest information request to the most complex, multi-year service transactions should be built with the user in mind. These user-centered designs can ensure that agencies construct the kinds of welcoming, trusted experiences that users want.

The potential for citizens to interact with their Governments in the digital space is limitless, and creating personalized content is pivotal to meeting those expectations. Trusted, engaging experiences are built on equal pillars of data, content and meaningful delivery. However, they begin with a modern foundation to meet the demands necessary for true personalization.

Technology and Workforce Modernization

Modernization is about streamlining outdated processes that have long hindered efficiency. Many Government websites still struggle with outdated designs and inconsistent content, yet the website of a Government agency is often the first point of contact for constituents seeking information or services. Therefore, the America by Design EO requires agencies to “prioritize improving websites…that have a major impact on Americans’ everyday lives” (Executive Order). With a well-designed website that is easy to navigate, constituents can quickly find the information that they need.

After agencies inform constituents about services, they must enroll them in the appropriate ones. Enrollment processes have traditionally been slow and time-consuming, often relying on paper-intensive systems. To reduce administrative burdens and improve data collection accuracy, agencies must transition from manual, paper-centric workflows to digital tools. When employees aren’t bogged down by administrative cleanup work, they have more time to work on tasks that make a bigger impact on their agencies’ missions.

This means that modernization is also about enabling the workforce to adapt to this new digital foundation. Efficiency here involves enhancing communication between employees, aligning project tasks with agency goals and providing transparency into this progress. Agencies that foster a culture of collaboration and trust in their workforce will see that workforce more empowered to deliver efficient results that align better with overall goals.

Looking Forward

Today, efficiency has expanded beyond the scope of the GAO itself and has been integrated into nearly every aspect of the Public Sector and how residents think about it. By prioritizing intuitive, personalized and efficient digital services that meet public expectations, agencies can increase trust in our Government.

Check out this on-demand webinar series to learn how Adobe’s digital experience solutions can help your agency modernize public services, digitize internal workflows and accelerate content delivery, while ensuring compliance and protecting sensitive data.

Securing Government AI: Why Federal Agencies Need a Trust Layer for Accountable, Compliant Deployment

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Federal agencies must deploy AI fast – but safely. The White House’s Executive Order, new OMB guidance requiring Chief AI Officers, and citizen expectations are driving rapid adoption. More than 1,700 AI use cases are already live across Government, doubling in just one year.

The challenge? Traditional security can’t keep up with AI systems operating at machine speed and scale. Federal agencies need Zero Trust architecture built specifically for AI agents, not retrofitted legacy systems. The recent addition of Nuggets’ Trust Layer solutions to the GSA Schedule provides exactly that foundation.

The Zero Trust Imperative for Government AI

Here’s the reality: AI agents make thousands of decisions per second across multiple systems. Without Zero Trust verification, agencies can’t prove who authorized what action, when or with which data.

The core challenges are clear:

  • Speed vs oversight: AI operates faster than current security can verify
  • Scale: Thousands of simultaneous agent interactions with no unified oversight
  • Accountability gaps: No audit trails for autonomous decisions in black-box systems
  • Compliance blind spots: NIST IAL2/IAL3 standards weren’t designed for autonomous AI
  • Sophisticated threats: AI-powered spoofing attacks that overwhelm legacy defenses

Federal agencies face intense pressure to adopt AI, but risks around bias, privacy, accountability and public trust threaten safe deployment. The gap between what agencies must deliver–secure, transparent, compliant services—and what legacy systems can support continues to widen.

Why Legacy Solutions Can’t Keep Up

Traditional identity systems were built for humans, not AI agents. While protocols like Agent-to-Agent (A2A) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) enable coordination between agents and tools, they don’t verify trust, intent or authorization, especially when handling sensitive Government data.

Point solutions create security silos and compliance blind spots. Legacy frameworks simply don’t account for autonomous decision-making, leaving agencies without proof of who or what acted, when and with proper authorization. Without this foundation, compliance and accountability are left to chance.

The Trust Layer Solution: Zero Trust for AI

Nuggets provides purpose-built Zero Trust architecture for agentic AI. Recognized by Gartner as a leader in decentralized identity, our trust layer embeds verification into every AI interaction, no matter the agent, system or data involved.

The comprehensive architecture creates compliance by design through three core capabilities:

Verifiable Identity: Cryptographically verified identity for every human, organization and AI agent that works across all platforms, contexts, devices and systems.

Complete Audit Trails: Every AI decision creates tamper-proof records with consent receipts and authorization proofs that meet Federal accountability requirements.

Standards Compliance: Built-in adherence to NIST IAL2/IAL3, AAL2 and UK Digital Identity Trust Framework requirements, ensuring agencies can deploy AI while meeting stringent security standards.

The result: a Zero Trust foundation on which agencies can deploy autonomous AI systems with confidence that every action is verified, compliant and auditable. This will enable both rapid innovation and Government accountability.

Real Impact: Government AI That Works

For Government IT leaders, the practical outcomes are substantial and measurable. Agencies using Nuggets’ trust layer achieve:

Operational Confidence: AI agents operate autonomously while maintaining security standards, delivering efficiency without sacrificing oversight.

Compliance Assurance: Built-in adherence to Federal identity verification requirements eliminates compliance guesswork.

Mission Success: Complete audit trails for all AI interactions and decisions ensure accountability while preventing unauthorized actions that could compromise sensitive operations.

Real-world use cases demonstrate the impact: automated document processing across agencies with complete audit trails, AI-driven eligibility checks and fraud detection that withstand regulatory scrutiny, secure inter-agency data sharing with verified agent identities and AI-powered citizen services that maintain privacy while delivering efficiency.

Each deployment proves that agencies can achieve both AI innovation and Government accountability, systems that are trusted by regulators, citizens and the mission itself.

The GSA Schedule Advantage

Procurement complexity often slows Government adoption of new technologies, but Nuggets eliminates these barriers. The solution is available through multiple pre-vetted contract vehicles, including GSA Schedule No. 47QSWA18D008F, SEWP V contracts, ITES-SW2, NASPO ValuePoint, OMNIA Partners and E&I Contract.

This means agencies can move from evaluation to deployment quickly, leveraging Carahsoft’s established Government relationships and support infrastructure. No lengthy procurement delays, no security gaps, no compliance questions.

Ready for Trusted AI Deployment?

As agencies expand AI capabilities, traditional security cannot keep pace with the speed, scale and complexity of autonomous systems. Purpose-built Zero Trust infrastructure is essential for agencies that must balance innovation mandates with compliance requirements and public accountability.

See how Federal agencies are deploying AI that’s secure, compliant, transparent and trusted. Schedule a personalized demo to explore how Nuggets’ Trust Layer can secure your agency’s AI deployment with the accountability that Government operations require.

Deploy AI that’s trusted by regulators, citizens and your mission. Contact Carahsoft at (844) 214-4790 or Nuggets@carahsoft.com. Learn more at www.carahsoft.com/nuggets.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Nuggets, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Cloud Security: Complex Threats, Clear Solutions

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Cloud technology, for many years, enticed agencies looking for savings and efficiencies. Organizations pursued “cloud-first” policies that migrated data and applications away from onsite infrastructure and into the control, at least in part, of cloud service providers. While the cloud offered promising advantages, some agencies encountered unexpected cost challenges along the way. And lately, malicious actors have gotten exceptionally good at exploiting cloud vulnerabilities.

There isn’t one way to secure your cloud platform, unfortunately. You need a holistic, Zero Trust approach that combines security controls with cyber policies and procedures. Strong encryption and access rules, automated updates, clear visibility and detailed incident response plans are all critical. Knowing who’s responsible for what should go without saying. And repatriating data — bringing it back on premises, for example — is often a commonsense answer. 

“Agencies have to comply with stringent regulations … so that means they need a really robust [security] framework, all while managing the complexities of the cloud environment,” said Garrett Lee, Regional Vice President for Public Sector in Broadcom’s Enterprise Security Group. “Cloud, you know, solves some problems, but it also creates some others.”  

In this video interview, Lee explores both the opportunities that cloud computing offers and how to confront its security challenges. Topics include:  

  • What a holistic approach to cloud security entails
  • The cost and security drivers behind data repatriation, and why they matter
  • How to secure four critical domains: endpoints, data, the cloud and networks

Want to learn more cyber resilience strategies? Download Symantec, Carbon Black and Carahsoft’s guide to explore four critical cyber force multipliers that enhance agencies’ security posture amid growing threats and limited budgets.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Broadcom we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

This post originally appeared on GovLoop.com, and is re-published with permission

Secrets to Public Sector Sales Success: Insights from Marion Square’s Harvey Morrison

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The Federal Government needs more solutions, not more software. That is the message we at Marion Square get every day from our agency contacts. They do not want lists of product features or emails about why one technology is better than another. They want to know how that technology will meet their very specific needs, how it will fit into their unique IT architecture and, most importantly, how it will help them solve their challenges.

As such, successfully selling to agencies today looks a lot different from what it did a few years ago. It is not about getting 50 meetings with 50 different agencies; that scattershot approach is a waste of time. Instead, it is about ensuring that the right meetings are held and that each one matters.

That is where Marion Square comes in. We help technology vendors align their products with mission impact and operational fit. Our advisory approach blends deep market intelligence with tailored go-to-market strategies that position technology not as a product, but as an answer to an agency’s most pressing needs.

Based on our conversations with agency contacts, here are the key trends shaping Federal buying behavior, and how we recommend vendors respond.

The Three Pricing Archetypes Driving Public Sector Purchasing

The Government is still under immense pressure to bring costs down and increase efficiencies. Over the past few months, we have heard from many clients whose customers have called for price reductions. We advise them on three ways to respond:

Vendors must choose their approach carefully. A bold discount can open doors but risks setting unsustainable expectations. Value bundling requires clear articulation of how those added features meet specific mission needs. And while price cuts may help win deals in the short term, they should be anchored in a broader licensing or adoption strategy to avoid devaluation.

Partnering With Services Companies Is a Winning Strategy

Agencies need help navigating integration, implementation, training and sustainment. That is why partnering with services companies is essential. These firms bring institutional knowledge, procurement relationships and hands-on delivery capacity that agencies trust. When a vendor brings a product plus a credible partner to help stand it up, it reduces perceived risk and increases purchase confidence.

At Marion Square, we help clients align with the right service partners early in their go-to-market process. Doing so allows them to frame their offerings not as standalone tools, but as parts of larger, operationally relevant solutions.

Indeed, we have seen a lot of success when vendors position themselves alongside integrators or mission-focused contractors who already have traction within an agency. The collaboration strengthens the overall value proposition and gives agencies greater confidence that the solution can be deployed effectively and deliver measurable outcomes.

Agencies Look to Vendors For Education, Not Just Products

Many Federal stakeholders are overwhelmed by emerging technologies and new mandates. They value a partner who can help them unpack directives like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 23-02, for instance, or understand how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can improve workflows, cybersecurity initiatives and so forth. Vendors who show up with insight, rather than just information, become trusted advisors and separate themselves from the pack.

We also see a significant knowledge gap around the innovation programs already available to agencies. Beyond well-known pathways like Small Business Innovation Research Programs (SBIRs), many Government stakeholders are unaware of other funding mechanisms and pilot opportunities that could support emerging technologies. So, we work with clients to help them think of new ways to present their technology and receive funding for their solutions.

For example, we worked with a client focused on AI data processing who was using a traditional hardware approach. We identified an opportunity to reposition their architecture to align with a lesser-known innovation program, helped craft a targeted proposal and they secured funding. It is proof that vendors can add value by not only educating agencies on their capabilities but also guiding them toward untapped opportunities to fund and implement them.

Join Us This Fall

In October, we will be co-hosting a strategy session with our partner Carahsoft to discuss these and other issues. We will discuss current market trends and provide attendees with insights into crafting winning sales strategies that drive traction. We will cover what it takes to get agency attention, how to build messaging that resonates and how to position each solution as the one that helps Government teams deliver on their mission.

We hope you will join us!

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Marion Square we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Streamlining Productivity with Document Solutions: A Modern Approach to Digital Workflows

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The Digitalization of Day-to-Day Experiences in the Modern World

Looking around at our society today, at how we interact with the world—whether it be with our shopping, art, schooling, or the internet—there is no denying that our experiences have become increasingly digitized. Nearly every aspect of life, from a personal, individual lens to a global one, now incorporates a digital component, and as a collective, we have come to expect a certain level of facility from digital services, tools, or devices. Technological advancements are constant. While their impact may vary and generate differing public opinions, there is no doubt that technology will continue to advance exponentially, offering countless opportunities to enhance nearly every aspect of daily life.

Adopting Digital Tools and Services for Automating Administrative Tasks

One major technological advancement is the rise of digital tools and services for document workflows, which have become widely adopted across commercial, personal, and particularly government settings. Digital solutions, including those used extensively for documents, are considered essential now, as they provide many benefits across workflows that streamline administrative efforts in document creation and management. An ideal digital solution for document processes includes the capabilities to create, edit, redact, digitize, and organize documents of varying sizes, plus additional services, which may provide the ability for sending, signing, and sharing for real-time collaboration. When organizations leverage modern tools across initiatives, they save time and money while automating previously manual tasks to make them more convenient for employees to accomplish. Furthermore, the lasting benefits of modernization through the implementation of such solutions apply internally and externally, allowing organizations to deliver better experiences to the public.

Using the Digital Toolbox to Work on PDFs

In today’s fast-paced, digital-first workplace, the ability to effortlessly build, edit, and digitize documents is essential for operational efficiency. Modern PDF solutions, such as Adobe Acrobat, eliminate the need for paper-based processes by offering intuitive solutions that support document creation, conversion, editing, and e-signing. Whether converting scanned documents into editable text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) or merging multiple files into a single, structured PDF, these tools empower professionals to maintain a smooth, fully digital workflow. This transformation not only saves time but also reduces errors and administrative overhead.

Speeding up and Securing Signature Processes by eSigning Documents

One of the most impactful advancements in digital document management is the integration of e-signature technology. In the year 2000, the passage of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act) made electronic signatures legally equivalent to traditional paper signatures, provided specific consumer consent and record retention requirements were met. Now there are various solutions across vendors that meet these standards for official use, such as those from Adobe. Adobe Acrobat Sign’s e-signature features enable users to collect legally binding signatures in minutes—without printing, scanning, or mailing. This accelerates approval cycles, reduces turnaround times, and eliminates workflow bottlenecks, making it useful across departments for any organization. Acrobat Sign improves efficiency by streamlining signature requests and enabling sending and signing directly within various apps, online, or across devices. Teams can manage the signing process from a centralized platform that allows for seamless and professional user experiences.

Working Together While Working Remotely

Collaboration is another key component of an effective digital document strategy. With optional cloud services, such as those available through Adobe’s Document Cloud solutions, teams can provide real-time comments, annotations, and feedback without necessarily needing to download or email different versions of the document one by one. Team members can work seamlessly within the same document, where their input is compiled and shared for review. This dynamic interaction improves communication, minimizes version control issues, and enables faster decision-making. Whether working on contracts, proposals, or technical documentation, these tools allow for more agile and synchronized teamwork—regardless of team members’ physical locations.

Stronger Solutions for Safeguarding Digital Documents

Security remains a priority, especially when handling confidential or sensitive information. To protect sensitive content, PDF tools included across Adobe Document Cloud solutions offer features such as password protection, permissions settings, and redaction, as well as adherence to various compliances or authorizations. These capabilities help organizations comply with data privacy standards and prevent unauthorized access or data leaks. Applying security best practices, such as encrypting and redacting documents or leveraging custom authentication options and audit trails for e-signing agreements ensures that your digital workflows not only stay efficient but also remain safe and compliant, whether in transit or at rest.

Modern Solutions Make for Better Results

As digital solutions become more widely adopted across public and private sectors, their benefits for document workflows—like creating, editing, signing and securing—can streamline operations, reduce costs and save employee time and effort. Using premier digital tools generates the best results as automation and AI-based features drive efficiency for administrative tasks, projects, or day-to-day objectives. During our recent four-part webinar series, Carahsoft’s team of Adobe experts shared applicable ways to replace outdated, paper workflows with secure, effective, comprehensive digital document processes. To learn more, please refer to the on-demand recordings.

Check out this on-demand webinar series for more information on how Adobe can support your organization’s digital transformation initiatives.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Adobe we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

The Role of AI Infrastructure in Government  

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To maintain its place as a leader in AI advancements, and to comply with the latest White House guidance, Government agencies must harness AI capabilities, such as secure cloud computing platforms, high-performance data processing systems and scalable machine learning frameworks, for critical functions such as cybersecurity, predictive analytics and economic competitiveness. As with any new technology, AI requires updated infrastructure to power these advanced capabilities. 

The Capabilities of AI Infrastructure 

AI infrastructure refers to the hardware and software needed to create and deploy AI-powered applications and solutions. It enables both AI, the technology that simulates the way people think, and machine learning (ML), a focus area of AI that utilizes data and algorithms to imitate the way humans learn, increasing the accuracy of its results the more data you input. AI infrastructure enables users to create and deploy AI and ML apps, such as chatbots, facial and speech recognition and computer vision. 

Building the infrastructure for AI requires data storage and processing, compute resources, ML frameworks and MLOps platforms to acquire the processing capabilities needed for AI, and also to train ML models.  

AI Infrastructure Deep Dive 

Below are the six pillars that define a strong AI foundation, each continuously evolving to keep pace with the next generation of AI capabilities. 

Specialized Compute 
In 2025, AI solutions rely on more than GPUs, they use a mix of processors designed for different types of AI tasks. This makes it faster and more cost-effective to train, update and run today’s complex models. As AI systems are becoming more advanced, many models are becoming larger and require HPC solutions. On the other hand, smaller models can run on cloud-based architecture for lower compute needs. 

Data Preparation 

The success of an AI solution can tie back to how well the data is prepared before it’s used. Modern AI infrastructure now includes built-in tools to clean, label and organize data at scale, sometimes using AI itself to automate the work. This ensures models are trained on accurate, relevant information, while also tagging and tracking data to meet security, compliance and transparency requirements. 

Data Storage 
Because today’s AI solutions are becoming more and more advanced, additional data is required to train the models. AI now depends on lightning-fast data storage that can easily grow alongside datasets. New tools also make it possible to keep sensitive data in specific locations or environments, meeting strict privacy and Government requirements without slowing down AI workflows. 

Networking 
As AI models get bigger, the speed of moving information between systems is critical. New high-speed networks reduce delays so AI can process and deliver results in near real-time, even across large environments. 

Software & Orchestration 
Managing AI today requires controlling the entire process from development to deployment. Modern platforms help teams easily update models, track their history and ensure they run efficiently whether in the cloud, on-premises, or in secure Government networks. 

Security & Governance 
AI infrastructure in 2025 is built with security at its core. It goes through rigorous testing to ensure it meets Government compliance standards and protects sensitive information. It is important to choose solutions from providers that continuously monitor their models, ensuring they’re safe, reliable and ready to be audited at any time. 

All these AI Infrastructure features will be utilized by Government agencies to enable AI solutions that improve workflows and maintain global competitiveness. 

AI Infrastructure: A National Priority 

Executive Order 14141 names AI infrastructure, including data centers and compute clusters that are powered by clean energy, as a national priority to upholding U.S. leadership, national security and competition.  

The order encourages Government agencies to secure supply chains, integrate clean energy and collaborate with the private sector. It also directs Federal agencies to make Federal lands and sites available for clean power generation and gigawatt-scale AI data centers 

In alignment with the Executive Order, the Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Request for Information (RFI) to use its territories to build AI infrastructure datacenters, citing that they would enable AI training and inference, scientific research and other essential services.  

Most recently, the AI Action Plan outlines recommended policy actions regarding building AI infrastructure such as data centers, semiconductor manufacturing facilities and energy infrastructure. The goal of the AI Action Plan is to streamline AI adoption and, in turn, speed up and scale the development of AI infrastructure on the federal level. National Security, AI incident response, cybersecurity and secure-by-design systems are highlighted as vital pillars of the AI Action Plan’s infrastructure guidance. By sharing specific steps to achieve safe and secure AI infrastructure, such as identifying available federal land, training our workforce, building data centers and keeping security at the backbone, the AI Action Plan outlines clear next steps that agencies need to take in order to push AI adoption forward.  

In an increasingly technology-driven landscape, AI infrastructure allows Government agencies to modernize their operations and deliver more efficient, responsive services. Strategic investment in AI infrastructure enables agencies to enhance decision-making processes, reduce operational costs, protect national security interest and fulfill their core mandate of serving citizens. Once this foundation is in place, agencies can begin to build and deploy solutions that directly support their missions. The next blog in our series will explore how this infrastructure enables Generative AI and its potential for transforming Government workflows. 

Carahsoft’s ecosystem of hardware and software vendors are equipped to connect agencies with the latest technology for AI, including the infrastructure needed to run it. To learn more about AI infrastructure solutions that are tailored for the Public Sector, visit Carahsoft’s Page on AI Solutions.