Tag Archives: State and Local Government

Top 10 OSINT Events for Government in 2026 

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Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) continues to evolve as a cornerstone capability for Government agencies, law enforcement and intelligence professionals navigating an increasingly complex information landscape. As OSINT methodologies advance through artificial intelligence (AI) integration, automated analysis and sophisticated data strategies, staying current with emerging trends and technologies is essential for mission success. Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, has spent years supporting the OSINT community through partnerships with leading solution providers and active participation in premier industry events. This list highlights the top OSINT events for 2026, offering Government professionals invaluable opportunities to learn, network and discover innovative approaches to intelligence gathering and analysis. 

National Fusion Center Association Conference 

March 30 – April 2, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | In-Person Event 

The National Fusion Center Association (NFCA) Annual Training Event serves as the premier forum dedicated to connecting designated state and major urban area fusion centers. Through this gathering, participants gain access to specialized training and technical assistance while engaging in a collaborative environment designed to facilitate the exchange of critical insights. These shared best practices play a vital role in enhancing operational effectiveness and strengthening the overall intelligence capabilities of the national fusion center network. The conference provides an essential opportunity for information sharing professionals to advance their tradecraft and build lasting professional relationships. 

Carahsoft will have a booth at the NFCA conference and feature its OSINT vendor partners in demo kiosks, showcasing solutions specifically designed for fusion center operations and information sharing. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore technologies that address the unique challenges of multi-jurisdictional intelligence coordination, threat assessment and real-time information analysis. Carahsoft’s presence at this event reflects our commitment to supporting the fusion center community with innovative OSINT tools that enhance situational awareness and operational collaboration across State and Local intelligence operations. 

OSINT Foundation Tech Expo 

April 30 – May 1, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The OSINT Foundation Tech Expo is an annual event that brings together professionals and experts in the field, showcasing the latest advancements in OSINT technologies and related services. Attendees can expect a variety of presentations, workshops and networking opportunities designed to enhance knowledge and skills in gathering and analyzing publicly available information. The event aims to foster collaboration and innovation within the OSINT community, making it a must-attend for anyone involved in intelligence and open source analysis. 

Carahsoft is proud to host the OSINT Foundation Tech Expo at the Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center in Reston, a space dedicated to ensuring collaboration and support across the technology industry and Government. Carahsoft invites partners to join the 50 OSINT vendors and agencies already lined up to showcase their own tabletop exhibits, creating a comprehensive marketplace of OSINT solutions. Carahsoft has also collaborated with FedGovToday’s Francis Rose to interview partners for Innovation in Government and Video Insights, providing attendees with expert perspectives on the future of open source intelligence. 

Border Security Expo 

May 5-6, 2026 | Phoenix, AZ | In-Person Event 

Border Security Expo is the largest and longest-standing event of its kind, bringing together the full border security community, from policy leaders and operational commanders to local law enforcement and industry innovators. It offers a dedicated forum to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks and explore emerging technologies shaping the future of border operations. With its comprehensive conference sessions, hands-on demonstrations and expansive exhibit hall, the expo provides invaluable insights for professionals working to enhance border security capabilities. 

Carahsoft will have a booth at Border Security Expo and feature vendors in demo kiosks, highlighting OSINT solutions tailored to border security challenges. The booth will showcase technologies that address critical needs in threat detection, smuggling interdiction and cross-border intelligence sharing. Attendees will be able to engage directly with Carahsoft’s OSINT subject matter experts to discuss how open source intelligence capabilities can enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness along our nation’s borders. 

SOF Week 

May 18-21, 2026 | Tampa, FL | In-Person Event 

SOF Week 2026 is the annual gathering for the international Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. Jointly sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the Global SOF Foundation, the event serves as a platform for fostering collaboration, innovation and excellence in modern special operations. SOF Week features keynote addresses from senior leaders, professional development workshops, networking opportunities and sessions focused on non-profit initiatives. This key event brings together over 19,000 attendees to shape the future of SOF operations. 

Carahsoft will showcase its Partner Pavilion with interactive demo kiosks and exhibitor booths, including several technology vertical alleys for attendees to visit. Carahsoft will also offer several speaking opportunities to its partners, including FedGovToday interviews, executive briefing sessions and an OSINT Panel.  

OSMOSISCon 

May 30 – June 2, 2026 | Buena Vista, FL | In-Person Event 

Carahsoft, OSINT Top Events blog, embedded image, 2026

OSMOSISCon (Online Social Media and Open Source Investigation Summit Convention) serves as the premier open source, skills-building conference, dedicated to educating cyber intelligence investigators, researchers, reporters and analysts on the latest OSINT and Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) techniques. The event offers specialized training sessions that dive into critical operational skills, including exposing fraud, identifying geolocations, navigating the dark web and cracking complex leads. By bringing together hundreds of professionals from diverse backgrounds, the conference creates an invaluable environment for knowledge sharing and professional development. Sessions will cover signals intelligence for proactive security, OSINT tactics to unmask fraudsters, validating leads from automated OSINT tools and financial technology in human trafficking investigations. 

Carahsoft will have an exhibitor booth at OSMOSISCon and feature resources from vendors, serving as a comprehensive resource center for attendees seeking OSINT solutions. This booth will provide information on the latest tools and technologies that support the advanced investigative techniques being taught throughout the conference. Carahsoft’s presence at this skills-focused event demonstrates our commitment to supporting the professional development of OSINT practitioners with access to best-in-class technology solutions that enhance their investigative capabilities. 

National District Attorneys Association Summer Summit 

July 2026 | TBD | In-Person Event 

The National District Attorneys (NDAA) Summer Summit serves as a pivotal event dedicated to enhancing community safety through the adoption of forward-thinking strategies. This conference unites a diverse group of prosecutors, legal experts, community leaders and policymakers to foster collaboration and dialogue. Through this gathering, attendees will explore innovative approaches to crime prevention and the implementation of effective re-entry programs that leverage OSINT capabilities to support investigations and prosecutorial efforts. 

Carahsoft will have a booth at the NDAA Summit and feature its OSINT vendor partners in demo kiosks, showcasing solutions designed to support prosecutorial investigations and case development. The booth will highlight how OSINT tools can assist district attorneys’ offices in building stronger cases, conducting background investigations and identifying criminal networks. Carahsoft’s participation at this event reflects our understanding of the critical role open source intelligence plays in the criminal justice system and our commitment to providing prosecutors with advanced investigative technologies. 

National Homeland Security Conference 

August 10-13, 2026 | Louisville, KY | In-Person Event 

The National Homeland Security Conference unites a diverse array of professionals across the fields of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Fire and Emergency Management. This gathering draws officials from Federal and nonprofit agencies, alongside business owners, university representatives and key decision-makers. Attendees convene to gain insights into emerging security trends and to explore the latest equipment and technologies available to support their missions. The conference provides a comprehensive platform for learning about OSINT applications in homeland security operations. 

Carahsoft’s Law Enforcement and OSINT teams will have a booth at the National Homeland Security Conference and feature vendors in demo kiosks, presenting a comprehensive suite of intelligence solutions for homeland security professionals. This joint team presence enables attendees to explore how OSINT capabilities integrate with broader law enforcement and emergency management technologies to enhance threat detection, emergency response and critical infrastructure protection. Carahsoft is committed to supporting the entire homeland security ecosystem with innovative intelligence gathering and analysis solutions. 

OSMOSIS: DC Expo 

October 6, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

OSMOSIS:DC brings the specialized excellence of the Global OSMOSIS Conference to the nation’s capital, offering a focused, one-day intensive for OSINT practitioners and cyber intelligence researchers. This regional event is tailored to the unique needs of the D.C.-based intelligence community, providing high-impact training on social media intelligence (SOCMINT) and OSINT. The summit is dedicated to refining the skills required to unmask digital identities, navigate emerging platforms and streamline complex investigations. By fostering a local environment for collaboration, OSMOSIS:DC enables professionals to share tactics and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving digital threat landscape. 

Carahsoft is proud to support this regional gathering with a dedicated tabletop exhibit, serving as a comprehensive resource center for attendees looking to optimize their investigative toolkit. Our team will be on hand to provide insights into the latest OSINT solutions and facilitate connections with industry-leading vendor partners. Carahsoft’s involvement in OSMOSIS:DC highlights our commitment to localized professional development, ensuring that practitioners have immediate access to the technical resources and expertise required to solve their most challenging cases in the field. 

ISS World North America 

November 17-18, 2026 | Washington, DC | In-Person Event 

ISS World North America stands as the world’s largest gathering of regional law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security analysts. The convention is specifically designed to support professionals tasked with lawful interception, hi-tech electronic investigations and network intelligence gathering. This year’s summit focuses on the methodologies required to combat drug trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities through advanced technical surveillance and data analytics. Attendees will gain deep-dive insights into the latest monitoring centers and investigative techniques essential for modern public safety and national security. 

Carahsoft will maintain a prominent presence at ISS World North America, hosting an exhibitor booth that serves as a central hub for cutting-edge OSINT solutions. In addition to showcasing a robust portfolio of vendor partner technologies, Carahsoft will lead three 40-minute panels dedicated to critical OSINT topics. These expert-led sessions are designed to bridge the gap between complex data challenges and actionable intelligence, providing practitioners with the tools and strategies necessary to enhance their investigative workflows. Our participation underscores Carahsoft’s dedication to empowering the OSINT community with both high-level educational content and best-in-class technology. 

DoDIIS Worldwide 

TBD, 2026 | TBD | In-Person Event 

The 2026 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System (DoDIIS) Worldwide Conference, hosted by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), will bring together leaders from the DoW, industry and academia experts, the Intelligence Community (IC) and Five Eyes (FVEY) partners to discuss the future of Information Technology (IT), cybersecurity and intelligence integration. The conference will feature keynote addresses from top defense officials and breakout sessions on AI, data analytics, cloud computing and emerging threats. This dynamic event represents the principal gathering for advancing national security through innovation and technological integration. 

Carahsoft will showcase its Partner Pavilion with interactive demo kiosks and exhibitor booths, including several technology vertical alleys for attendees to visit. Carahsoft will also offer several speaking opportunities to its partners, including FedGovToday interviews, executive briefing sessions and an OSINT Panel. All DoDIIS attendees are invited to join Carahsoft for a networking reception, providing an unparalleled opportunity to engage with DoW intelligence professionals and explore how OSINT capabilities are transforming defense intelligence operations. 

The landscape of open source intelligence continues to expand, with AI-driven analysis, automation and advanced data strategies reshaping how Government agencies gather, analyze and act on publicly available information. These premier events provide essential opportunities to stay ahead of emerging trends, connect with industry leaders and discover innovative solutions that enhance intelligence operations. Whether you are focused on national security, law enforcement or IC missions, joining Carahsoft at these events will equip you with the insights and connections needed to advance your OSINT capabilities. 

To learn more or get involved in any of the above events, please contact us at OSINTVerticalMarketing@carahsoft.com.

For more information on Carahsoft and our industry-leading OSINT technology partners’ events, visit our OSINT solutions portfolio. 

Top 10 GovExperience & CX Events for Government in 2026

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As Government agencies increasingly prioritize citizen-centric service delivery, customer experience (CX) has emerged as a critical mission imperative. Modern constituents expect seamless, responsive interactions across all touchpoints, from digital services to contact centers, mirroring their experiences in the Private Sector. Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, stands at the forefront of this transformation, offering a comprehensive portfolio of industry-leading solutions designed to enhance service delivery, improve citizen engagement and drive operational efficiency across Federal, State and Local agencies. Throughout 2026, a series of premier events will showcase the latest innovations, best practices and strategies that are reshaping how Government serves its communities. Here are the top Government service delivery and CX events Public Sector professionals should attend this year. 

Adobe Government Forum 2026 

February 5, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | Hybrid Event 

The 16th Annual Adobe Government Forum highlights how Federal, State and Local leaders are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)-native tools and innovative strategies to shape the future of Government services. This year’s forum focuses on delivering faster, smarter and more personalized experiences that accelerate mission impact and reimagine citizen and employee engagement. The program features three tracks aligned with Government priorities: Creativity, turning ideas into impact; Experience, designing connected public services; and Productivity, empowering an AI-ready workforce.  

Sessions to look out for: 

  • Going Beyond Bureaucracy – Lessons from the Private Sector to Enhance Government Digital Services 
  • Becoming Accessible by Default and Inclusive by Design 
  • Transforming Communication Strategies with AI 

Carahsoft is proud to be a Diamond Sponsor and host of the Closing Remarks Reception.  We will also be hosting a Partner Networking Reception for our partner ecosystem the evening before, on February 4th, creating additional opportunities for meaningful connections within the Government community. 

X4 2026: The Experience Management Summit 

March 17-19, 2026 | Seattle, WA | In-Person Event 

Hosted by Qualtrics, this three-day summit is a must-attend event for experience management (XM) leaders across industries. The conference features inspiring keynotes, hands-on Basecamp sessions and real-world case studies demonstrating how organizations, including Public Sector agencies, are transforming customer, employee and citizen experiences. Attendees gain practical strategies, peer-driven insights and authentic connections to tackle today’s most pressing experience challenges while learning how agentic AI and emerging technologies are reshaping experience management across sectors. Session types include Main Stage Vision with company announcements, Basecamp & Deep Dives offering hands-on training and over 250 Breakout Strategy Sessions featuring real-world success stories. 

Carahsoft is excited to be a Silver Sponsor at X4 2026. We are also proud to host a morning networking breakfast for State, Local and Education attendees, as well as an evening reception open to all Public Sector customers and partners, demonstrating our commitment to fostering collaboration across the Government CX community. 

ACT-IAC/DCI Contact Center Summit 

April 8, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The 2026 Contact Center Summit brings together Government and industry leaders for focused discussions on the evolving role of contact centers in delivering modern, digital-first services. Presented by the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) and Dorris Consulting International (DCI), the program explores best practices, emerging technologies and innovative strategies shaping the future of Government contact centers. Attendees gain actionable insights on enhancing CX through omni-channel engagement, AI and data-driven operations while connecting with peers driving transformation across the Public Sector. This event addresses the critical intersection of technology and service delivery in Government contact center operations. 

Carahsoft is proud to be the facility sponsor, hosting attendees in partnership with ACT-IAC/DCI at our Conference & Collaboration Center. Together, we help foster an engaging space for Government and industry leaders to exchange ideas, share best practices and showcase mission-advancing solutions across the Public Sector. Our continued involvement reflects our commitment to empowering agencies with the tools, expertise and partnerships they need to enhance contact centers. 

Government Social Media Conference (GSMCON) 2026 

May 5-7, 2026 | New Orleans, LA | In-Person Event 

GSMCON 2026 is a premier gathering for Public Sector professionals focused on elevating digital communication, strategy and constituent engagement. The event offers practical training, expert guidance and real-world examples tailored to today’s fast-changing digital environment. Attendees learn how to navigate platform shifts, compliance challenges and new technologies like AI, returning with actionable strategies that strengthen public trust and improve agency outcomes.  

Sessions to look out for: 

  • Keeping Pace with the Speed of AI 
  • Managing Social Media Response Through Crisis and High-Pressure Events 
  • Screen Reader Ready: Level Up Your Content Accessibility 

Carahsoft is excited to be a Gold Sponsor at GSMCON 2026, the premier social media conference for Government agencies. Visit the Carahsoft exhibit booth to connect with our team and partners, such as Hootsuite, and discover how strategic social media solutions can transform your agency’s constituent engagement. 

GovExperience Summit: Advancing Government Service Delivery & CX 

June 2, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

Carahsoft, CX Top Events blog, embedded image, 2026

The GovExperience Summit (formerly the Government Customer Experience & Engagement Summit) showcases how AI, automation and data intelligence are transforming Government service delivery, from citizen engagement to workforce optimization. Sessions are offered in two tracks, Emerging Technology and Change Management, covering key priorities for Federal, defense and State and Local agencies. This event provides a comprehensive forum for exploring the intersection of emerging technologies and human-centered design in Public Sector service delivery, enabling attendees to develop strategies that balance innovation with accessibility. 

Carahsoft, in partnership with GovExec, is proud to host our 16th annual summit, bringing together Government and industry experts to discuss the future of Public Sector CX and service delivery and to share strategies for driving innovation and impact. This long-standing partnership demonstrates Carahsoft’s sustained leadership in advancing the Government CX mission and service delivery. 

Government Service Delivery 

June 10-11, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | In-Person Event 

Government Service Delivery (formerly GovernmentDX) is a leading conference that brings together senior Government leaders and technology innovators from the U.S. and around the world to drive tech-powered innovation and advance public service delivery. The event highlights the role of AI, data and cutting-edge technology in creating seamless, secure and citizen-centric experiences. Attendees participate in invite-only roundtables with global leaders to address shared challenges, alongside open sessions for public servants to learn, network and exchange best practices. 

Sessions to look out for: 

  • How Technology Can Modernize Government At All Levels 
  • Data-Driven Delivery: How to Make Better Use of Insights in Government 

Carahsoft is participating as a Bronze Sponsor with an exhibit booth and looks forward to connecting with the Government CX community to learn about their goals and initiatives and to showcase how our portfolio of solutions can help support them in their service delivery transformation journeys. 

Dreamforce 2026 

September 15-17, 2026 | San Francisco, CA | Hybrid Event 

Dreamforce is three days of groundbreaking innovation, bold ideas and visionary inspiration, bringing together the world’s brightest minds to explore digital transformation and customer success. The event showcases the latest Salesforce tools and solutions to build engaging, seamless experiences that exceed constituent expectations. Through breakout sessions, hands-on workshops and networking with industry leaders and peers, participants gain practical insights and strategies to drive innovation and accelerate digital transformation. Government attendees will discover how enterprise CX platforms can be adapted to meet unique Public Sector requirements while delivering world-class citizen services. 

Carahsoft is excited to sponsor Dreamforce 2026 and host a networking reception for our partners, creating an exclusive forum for Government professionals to connect with Salesforce experts and explore Public Sector CX solutions in a collaborative environment. 

Service to the Citizen Awards 

September 18, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | In-Person Event 

The Service to the Citizen Awards recognizes public servants at all levels of Government, including Federal, State, Local, Tribal and international, along with their industry partners who demonstrate leadership, dedication and innovation in delivering services that positively impact citizens’ lives and rebuild trust in Government. While the event is reserved for award winners and sponsors, nominations open on January 26th and run until April 10th, with winners announced on June 17th. This prestigious ceremony celebrates exemplary public servants who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional citizen experiences and support initiatives that transform Government services.  

Submit your nominations here. 

Carahsoft is honored to return as a Platinum Sponsor for 2026 and support our partners and customers in their nominations. Join us in honoring exemplary public servants. If you need support with the nomination process, please contact CXmarketing@carahsoft.com to learn how we can assist in recognizing outstanding achievements in Government CX.  

ACT-IAC Digital Transformation Forum 

September 22, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The 2026 Digital Transformation Forum convenes Government and industry leaders for a day of insights, discussions and networking focused on the future of digital services and innovation in the Public Sector. This forum provides a strategic platform for exploring how emerging technologies are reshaping Government operations and service delivery. Attendees connect with peers who are navigating similar digital transformation challenges while discovering practical approaches to modernization that balance innovation with security, compliance and accessibility requirements. 

Carahsoft is hosting the ACT-IAC CX Summit at our Conference & Collaboration Center in Reston. We are committed to supporting Government professionals with the solutions and expertise needed to transform citizen services.  

ACT-IAC/DCI CX Summit 

November 13, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

Explore the future of digital services and CX across Government at the ACT-IAC/DCI CX Summit. This event brings together Federal and industry leaders for a day of conversations and insights focused on innovation, service delivery and modernizing Government operations. The summit provides a dedicated forum for CX professionals to discuss the strategic imperatives and practical implementations that enable agencies to achieve excellence in an increasingly digital Government landscape. Attendees gain access to expert perspectives on overcoming common CX challenges while discovering emerging solutions that can accelerate their agency’s service delivery transformation. 

Carahsoft is proud to be the facility sponsor, hosting attendees in partnership with ACT-IAC/DCI at our Conference & Collaboration Center. Together, we help foster an engaging space for Government and industry leaders to exchange ideas, share best practices and showcase mission-advancing solutions across the Public Sector.  

Whether you are seeking the latest innovations in service delivery and workforce optimization or exploring AI-driven automation and digital transformation strategies, these 2026 events provide essential forums for Government professionals committed to improving the Government customer experience. Each gathering offers unique opportunities to learn from peers, discover proven solutions and build relationships with the experts and vendors driving CX transformation across the Public Sector. As constituent expectations continue to evolve and new technologies like AI reshape what is possible in Government service delivery, staying connected to these communities of practice becomes increasingly critical for agencies seeking to deliver the seamless, responsive services citizens deserve. 

To learn more or get involved in any of the above events, please contact us at CXMarketing@Carahsoft.com.  

For more information on Carahsoft and our industry-leading CX technology partners’ events, visit our Customer Experience and Engagement solutions portfolio and CX events page. 

Revolutionizing Road Safety: How Blyncsy Uses AI To Leverage Dashcam Footage

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By accessing over a million commercial dashcams, Blyncsy, a part of Bentley Systems, uses movement intelligence to improve mobility and transportation, uses artificial intelligence (AI) vision to pinpoint roadway issues, extrapolate pain points and alert local officials with the most efficient solution to the problem.

Infrastructure Pain Points

State and Local Governments rely on manual inspections to maintain roadways. These are incredibly expensive, as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems cost 200 dollars or more per mile to operate. These fact-finding missions are both labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Information collected to make informed decisions on roadway maintenance is often coming from multiple sources. Fragmented and sometimes outdated data makes informed analysis difficult to obtain. Government officials need to be able to take these data points and interpret their value to suit modern needs, such as the wear of heavier electric vehicles and extreme weather on roadways, the use of autonomous vehicles and population increase in urban areas.

How AI-Vision Works

Blyncsy’s AI-Vision collects images from commercial dashcams currently on roadways around the country. The journey from raw footage to data analysis takes place in three steps:

  1. Upload and Validate: Images are collected and validated by examining meta details such as direction information, date and time stamps and heading information.
  2. Segment: AI-Vision breaks down the image and groups like objects together.
  3. Mask: Blyncsy highlights the segments that are valuable to the relative Government agency and provides near real-time insights.

Bentley Systems purchases the footage from partnering dashcam providers and makes the data available to State and Local officials that allow them to make informed and cost-effective decisions to improve their infrastructure. Proactive maintenance applications allow agencies to combine disparate data points to demonstrate how they interact with each other. For example, Blyncsy’s AI-Vision can identify a crosswalk in an image, then analyze the condition of the crosswalk paint and surrounding streetlights. This comprehensive analysis can help agencies quickly determine which intersections are not safe for pedestrians, and subsequently where they should be focusing maintenance efforts.

Blyncsy’s Capabilities

With the dashcams passively capturing and uploading every detail of the roads their drivers travel, Blyncsy’s practical applications are as numerous as the elements they capture.

  1. Safety Critical Assets: From guardrail detection and damage to paint line degradation, the AI-Vision can capture and evaluate the extent of the damage, determine whether the damage is severe enough to require immediate repair. Hawaii is the first to utilize this technology state-wide to detect vegetation encroachment and guardrail damage. As a result, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HIDOT) can prioritize resolving the most critical safety issues.
  2. Roadway Detection: Similarly, AI-Vision can detect roadway conditions, including recognizing potholes and pavement cracking and issuing a Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) score, where ratings can indicate good or poor pavement condition.
  3. Sign Inventory: Blyncsy can identify how each sign it captures is categorized according to their Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Classification. From there, it can assess damage and even recognize whether a sign is missing. They can also perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on signs to read the text.

These are only a few of the numerous ways Blyncsy’s AI-Vision technology can make roadway and infrastructure maintenance more efficient and cost-effective.

 Watch Blyncsy CEO Mark Pittman discuss the capabilities of AI-Vision and how it can help optimize your infrastructure maintenance systems.

To learn more about Blyncsy (a Bentley company) or Bentley, or to schedule a demo, contact Bentley@carahsoft.com or call (703) 673-3570.

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 Blyncsy, 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.

Building a Security Strategy for Agentic AI: A Framework for State and Local Government

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As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from simple chatbots to autonomous agents capable of making independent decisions, State and Local Government agencies face a fundamental shift in cybersecurity requirements. Recent research shows 59% of State and Local Government respondents report already using some form of generative AI (GenAI), with 55% planning to deploy AI agents for employee support within the next two years. Yet this rapid adoption brings unprecedented security challenges. Because AI agents are designed to pursue goals autonomously, even adapting when security measures block their path, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) responsible for safeguarding Government networks must rethink traditional defenses and embrace a new security paradigm.

The Emergence of Agentic AI and Its Unique Security Challenges

AI agents represent a significant departure from the GenAI tools many agencies currently use. While traditional Large Language Models (LLMs) respond to prompts and return information such as a support chatbot, AI agents and agentic systems are autonomous software programs that can plan, reflect, use tools, maintain memory and collaborate with other agents to achieve specific goals. These capabilities make them powerful productivity tools, but they also introduce failure modes that conventional software simply does not have. Unlike deterministic systems that crash when something goes wrong, AI agents can fail silently through collusion, context loss or corrupted cognitive states that propagate errors throughout connected systems. Research examining the real-world performance of AI agents found that single-term tasks had a 62% failure rate, with success rates dropping even further for multi-term scenarios.

When Veracode examined 100 LLMs performing programming tasks, these systems introduced risky security vulnerabilities 45% of the time. For State and Local agencies handling sensitive citizen data, managing critical infrastructure or supporting public safety operations, these error rates demand careful attention within robust security frameworks designed specifically for autonomous systems.

The New Security Paradigm: From Human-Centric to Agent-Inclusive Workforce Protection

AI agents, the newest coworker, amplify insider threats by combining human-like autonomy with capabilities that exceed human limitations. While employees work within bounded motivation and finite skills, AI agents possess boundless motivation to achieve goals, uncapped skills that continuously improve and infinite willpower, constrained only by computational capacity. They will not simply make a single attempt to access a file, get blocked due to a lack of permissions, get frustrated and go home for the day the way an employee might; they will persistently pursue objectives, potentially finding novel ways around security controls.

This transformation fundamentally changes the attack surface agencies must protect. Data breaches continue to impose significant financial and operational strain across the public sector, with many state and local organizations reporting cumulative annual costs that reach into the millions. AI agents and agentic systems collapse traditional security models by operating as autonomous workforce members who interact with systems, access data and make decisions without direct human oversight. They can be compromised through threats specific to agentic AI, such as goal and intent hijacking, memory poisoning, resource exhaustion or excessive agency that can lead to unauthorized actions, all in pursuit of achieving programmed objectives. For Government agencies managing limited security budgets while protecting essential citizen services, this exponential increase in potential attack vectors demands proactive frameworks rather than reactive responses.

The AEGIS Framework: A Six-Domain Approach to Securing Agentic AI

Forrester’s Agentic AI Enterprise Guardrails for Information Security (AEGIS) framework provides a comprehensive approach to helping CISOs in securing autonomous AI systems across six critical domains.

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) establish oversight functions and continuous monitoring capabilities. Identity and Access Management (IAM) address the unique challenge of agent identities that combine characteristics of both machine and human identities. Data Security focuses on classifying data appropriately, implementing controls for agent memory and considering data enclaves and anonymization from privacy perspectives.

Application Security evaluates risks across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), implements Development, Security and Operations (DevSecOps) best practices, assesses the software supply chain and uses adversarial red team testing to validate safety and security controls. This domain focuses on embedding telemetry that gives security teams visibility into agent behavior and decision making. Threat Management ensures logs are accessible to security operations center analysts, enabling detection of behavioral anomalies and supporting forensic investigations. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles apply such as implementing network access layer controls for agent workloads, continuous validation of the agent’s runtime environment and  monitoring of agent to agent communication.

Underlying the framework are three core principles:

  • Least Agency extends least privilege to focus on decisions and actions, ensuring agents have only the minimum set of permissions, capabilities, tools and decision making necessary to complete specific tasks.
  • Continuous Risk Management replaces periodic audits with ongoing evaluation of data, model and agent integrity.
  • Securing Intent requires organizations to understand whether agent actions are malicious or benign, intentional or unintentional, enabling proper investigation when failures occur.

Practical Implementation: Agent Onboarding and Governance

Forrester’s “Agent on a Page” concept provides a practical tool for providing structure, consistency and alignment of AI agents to business goals before activation, by outlining each agent’s owner, core purpose, operational context, knowledge base, specific tasks, functional alignment, tool access and cooperation patterns. This documentation gives business stakeholders clear success criteria, while security teams use it as a threat model and input into Forrester’s AEGIS framework to identify gaps in controls, missing guardrails, vulnerabilities and establish baselines to validate agent behavior against.

Similar to employee onboarding, agents require explicit programming on compliance frameworks, data privacy restrictions, scope of work and organizational norms. They must understand cooperation boundaries, operational context, knowledge sources and collaboration patterns. Agencies already deploying agents may have some of this documentation; those starting should collaborate between business owners and security teams to develop these frameworks.

Building a Secure Foundation for Autonomous AI

State and Local Government agencies stand at a critical inflection point. AI agents promise significant productivity gains across employee support, investigation assistance and first responder capabilities. Yet deploying these autonomous systems without appropriate security frameworks creates unacceptable risks for organizations managing citizen data and essential public services. The AEGIS framework provides a comprehensive approach to securing agentic AI before widespread deployment, enabling agencies to realize benefits while maintaining security postures that citizens expect.

Organizations should begin by reviewing the Forrester’s AEGIS framework to understand how it maps to existing compliance requirements such as NIST AI RMF, the EU AI Act and OWASP Top 10 for LLMs. Forming AI governance committees using AEGIS principles help establish organizational buy-in. Discovery processes identifying which departments are exploring AI agents enable targeted control implementation. Agencies that establish strong foundations now position themselves to adopt autonomous AI confidently and securely.

To explore the complete AEGIS framework and gain deeper insights into securing agentic AI for State and Local Government, watch Carahsoft’s full webinar featuring Forrester, “Full Throttle, Firm Control: Build Your Trust Strategy for Agentic AI.”

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 Forrester, 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.

Where the Physical Meets the Virtual: How Digital Twins Transform Flood Management

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Roughly 2 billion people globally are at risk of flooding, with that number growing steadily every year. With flooding ranking as the number one most frequent and costly natural disaster, Federal, State and Local Governments must find ways to translate historical and real-time data into predictive models for emergency response. Digital twins powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) substantially shorten simulation cycles, compare complex variables and precisely estimate future flood scenarios.

Challenges with Traditional Forecast Models

Examining the traditional forecast modeling process uncovers a series of disadvantages that mean an early warning flooding system is not functioning at maximum potential. These flood algorithms often have long modeling and simulation times, and analysts do not have the luxury to run outcomes multiple times to make the model as accurate as possible when it comes to emergency response. As forecasting areas get larger, these models need more time, more compute power and more analysts to run properly.

There are also issues with the data input into traditional forecast models. Analysts have data that is either unreliable or unavailable in the locales necessary to issue an accurate early flood warning. Incorrect data can also be created when outdated models misrepresent geospatial features. When this invalid data cannot be compared with other current or historical data points, the overall quality of the data decreases.

Along with the disadvantages of the traditional models themselves, the nature of flooding itself presents its own unique set of challenges for analysts. Freeform or uncontained water is an incredibly difficult element to measure properly, especially when it is in motion. Additionally, weather forecasts are often microregional. Rainfall can differ drastically between two different areas only hundreds of feet apart, making accurate assessments of rainfall across entire municipalities or counties near impossible.

To address these challenges, analysts examine existing models and determine how emerging technology can complement those frameworks to function in a more proactive manner.

Digital Twins and Flood Management

Predictive models are at the cornerstone of emergency response, and the merging of the physical world with digital information is crucial to outputting accurate information for public servants to utilize in the field. This is achieved through the creation of digital twins, or virtual representations of real-life components and processes. In this case, digital twins of an Area of Interest (AOI), such as a town or a county, can consist of multiple variables that can contribute to different factors in a flood scenario, including elevation, stormwater infrastructure, commercial and residential constructions, precipitation and natural geographic features. The model then forecasts flooding based on real-time and historical data.

To create a digital twin, analysts select a designated AOI and break it down into a gridded matrix. These cells can be as precise as 50 feet by 50 feet, depending on the resolution required for a specific model and the resolution of the available geospatial data. This way, the model can take into account the spatial variation of different geological data elements within the AOI, including infiltration rate and soil type. Relevant data points are often available through the town or county in question, or through the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Once compiled, this information can be processed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to create a digital twin to be used in flood forecasting.

However, the digital twin can remain static for some time, but can often change based on:

  • Changes in the landscape due to urbanization
  • Structures are built and demolished
  • Coastlines and water levels change

The more data and more current data that is incorporated into the digital twin, the more accurate the flood forecast and the more efficient the emergency response will be.

The Power of the Hybrid Model

As stated previously, one of the major challenges facing public servants concerning flood management is the time it takes to run simulations. AI models, trained on a series of input and output data, dramatically cut down model run times during storm events. Analysts can produce forecasts in seconds or minutes, where prior it may have taken hours or days to produce the underlying hydraulic and hydrologic model. This rapid prediction via model scoring process means that multiple AI models can be run at once that can take uncertainty in multiple parameters into account, reconcile differentiating flooding estimates and produce more accurate estimates.

When AI meets the real-world accuracy of digital twins, Government agencies can quickly and effectively plan for worst-case scenarios in flood emergencies.  These hybrid models can pinpoint areas on a large scale that are susceptible to complex issues during a flood, such as trash accumulation. Subsequently, these models can outline in real-time the cause and effect of decisions made by Government officials. In other words, if officials make infrastructure changes to solve a water challenge in one location, a hybrid model can show if the solution inadvertently created additional challenges elsewhere.

According to experts in the field, collaboration is the key to flood management success. This synergetic approach is echoed in the use of digital twins and AI predictive models. Using historical and real-time data to simulate future events will ultimately allow Government officials to plan and respond to flood scenarios safely and effectively.

Discover how digital twins and accompanying technology can transform flood management by watching SAS’s webinar “From Sensors to Digital Twins: Real-Time Flood Management with Data & AI”.

Better Together: How Eightfold.ai and Empyra Are Transforming Government Workforce Services

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Proven Results:

  • 30% faster job placement (Washington, D.C.)
  • 36% increase in engagement among underserved populations
  • 65% increase in training module completions
  • 71% increase in job applications submitted
  • 30% faster reemployment for RESEA participants (Florida Department of Commerce)

State and Local Governments are rethinking the way they connect job candidates with meaningful employment. Eightfold.ai and Empyra have combined to join advanced AI-driven talent matching with configurable case management. Together, they deliver a unified, secure environment that helps agencies modernize operations, improve employment outcomes and provide more efficient, personalized experience for both job seekers and employers.

AI-Driven Workforce Modernization

Eightfold.ai was built by former Google and Facebook engineers to be the world’s most intelligent talent matching platform, matching candidates to the right jobs. From more than a decade of global labor market data, its neural network goes beyond keyword searches, interpreting:

  • Skills
  • Roles
  • Qualifications

The platform continuously learns from interactions across job seekers, employers and case managers, moving agencies away from time-consuming resume screening toward a data-driven system that identifies talent by capability and aptitude.

Through its Career Navigator, Eightfold.ai provides:

  • Visual career pathways
  • Transferable skill identification
  • Gap analysis
  • Training from State-approved providers

This transforms the labor exchange into a dynamic environment that supports both immediate reemployment and long-term career mobility.

Integrated Case Management and Service Delivery

Empyra’s myOneFlow consolidates workforce and social service delivery into a single, configurable platform. By capturing data once and reusing it across workflows, the system reduces duplication and frees staff to focus on engagement rather than paperwork. Designed as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-ready system, myOneFlow includes Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) and performance reporting out of the box. As funding and requirements evolve, its flexible architecture allows agencies to tailor:

  • Forms
  • Eligibility rules
  • Intake processes
Eightfold.ai , Better Together Eightfold.ai and Empyra blog, embedded image, 2025

The platform streamlines the participant journey by automating:

  • Intake
  • Enrollment
  • Eligibility determination
  • Business rules to identify program fit
  • Referrals to partners for housing, education, training or employment resources

Participants can complete tasks and upload documents from any device via the mobile app. Beyond WIOA, myOneFlow also supports:

  • Apprenticeship management
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) tracking
  • Domestic-violence programs
  • Municipal grants.

By consolidating these functions, myOneFlow gives agencies flexibility to manage multiple programs efficiently within one adaptive system.

“Better Together” Integration Between Eightfold.ai and Empyra

Together Eightfold.ai and myOneFlow create a single front door for job seekers, case managers and employers. Unified identity management with Single Sign-On (SSO) and shared data models ensure information remains consistent across platforms.

Here’s how the integration works:

  • Participants register in myOneFlow
  • Their intake data automatically populates into Eightfold.ai
  • The AI engine generates skills assessments, job recommendations and career pathways
  • Applications, training and other activities sync back into myOneFlow

Case managers gain a real-time view of participant progress without manual entry, while employers benefit from accurate candidate matching and streamline recruiting tools. Behind the scenes, Eightfold.ai and Empyra operate a coordinated support model and incorporate agency feedback into joint product enhancements.

Trust, Security and Compliance

Both platforms meet rigorous standards, including:

  • FedRAMP
  • Tx-RAMP
  • System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2)
  • Department of Defense (DoD) Impact Level 4 (IL4)
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001

They also adhere to evolving regulations across the European Union Artificial Intelligence (EU AI) Act, Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) and other State privacy laws.

myOneFlow enforces:

  • Role-based access controls
  • Audit logging
  • Deduplication safeguards

Building the Future of Workforce Modernization

Eightfold.ai and Empyra’s myOneFlow demonstrate what is possible when AI, automation and integration align with mission-driven goals. The integrated solution helps agencies:

  • Deliver faster services
  • Improve job matching accuracy
  • Reduce administrative burden
  • Strengthen engagement
  • Maximize limited resources

Workforce organizations can now create a more responsive, equitable and efficient system, empowering job seekers, supporting employers and advancing mission outcomes.

Watch the full webinar, “AI-Centric Innovation: Modernizing Workforce Agencies,” to see the full demonstration of Eightfold.ai and Empyra’s integrated approach to workforce transformation.

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 Eightfold.ai and Empyra, 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.

How AI-Powered Records Management Transforms Government Operations from Reactive to Proactive

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Government agencies today must manage an unprecedented volume of digital documents. As digital transformation accelerates across Federal, State and Local agencies, the challenge is not just managing more content, it is extracting actionable intelligence while maintaining compliance, security and operational efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed enterprise records management, replacing manual processes with automated, predictive systems that improve decision making and resource allocation across the mission.

AI-Powered Auto-Classification for Document Management

Effective classification is the foundation of records management, and AI has altered this traditionally complex process. Modern AI models can accurately classify structured documents like invoices or purchase orders, with as few as ten training examples. This represents a major improvement over legacy systems that required zonal Optical Character Recognition (OCR) configuration, separator pages and precise layout specifications.

AI models employ multiple techniques, including computer vision, text extraction and contextual reasoning, to identify document types with high confidence. Unlike older pattern-matching tools, today’s AI adapts to variations in structure and format, making classification scalable for agencies managing thousands of document types across different departments.

Training has also become more accessible. Agencies can simply label documents, point the AI to those examples and generate a working classification system. Accuracy improves over time through human review, and confidence scores allow agencies to set thresholds and route low-confidence results to human reviewers.

Accurate classification directly impacts record retention, access control and content discovery. Without it, employees cannot find necessary documents, retention schedules are misapplied and access permissions become inconsistent. Robust AI-powered classification at ingestion ensures downstream processes function as intended.

Intelligent Data Extraction from Structured and Unstructured Documents

Once documents are classified, agencies must extract meaningful information, an area where AI delivers transformative capabilities. Modern machine learning models locate key-value pairs anywhere on a document, using contextual understanding rather than fixed positions or label formats. AI can also answer natural-language queries, mirroring human logic. If a person can explain how they would find a piece of information, that logic can be written as a prompt for the model.

These capabilities work across structured and unstructured formats. Work that previously required specialized staff and years of experience can now be configured with simple prompts. Confidence scoring ensures accuracy. When the model is uncertain, items are routed to human reviewers. This combines automation’s speed and consistency with human judgment where needed.

For Government agencies, AI extraction improves compliance and reporting. Licensing applications, permit requests, inspection reports and countless other documents can be automatically processed, with extracted data populating systems of record and triggering workflows. Information once locked in PDFs or paper becomes structured, searchable and actionable.

AI-Driven Deduplication and Data Quality Management

VisualVault, AI-Powered Records Management blog, embedded image, 2025

Duplicate data is a productivity drain and a compliance risk. Redundant documents accumulate quickly across forwarded emails, multiple repositories and inconsistent processes. This creates unnecessary work, consumes storage and complicates compliance with data retention requirements.

Legacy deduplication relied on hash matching, but this fails to detect most real-world duplicates. AI-based deduplication analyzes document classifications and extracted metadata to determine true duplicates based on agency-defined rules. If the elements match according to customer rules, the system flags the items as duplicates regardless of differences in headers or formatting.

This content-based deduplication reduces storage costs, simplifies retention compliance and minimizes cybersecurity exposure. Retaining unnecessary data increases legal risk during litigation and discovery and expands the attack surface for cyber threats. AI allows agencies to retain only necessary data, reducing operational and security liabilities.

Enhanced Workflow Automation with Predictive Analytics

High-quality, classified and extracted data unlocks the full value of predictive analytics, enabling Government agencies to shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive planning. This capability uses historical data to predict outcomes, such as numeric values, binary decisions or multiclass classifications.

Platforms like VisualVault allow agencies to train predictive models without data science expertise. Professional services teams configure the models, demonstrate how they work and train agency employees to manage them.

Public sector agencies already use predictive analytics to forecast safety incidents at licensed facilities. Historical inspection data comprised of conditions, violations and corrective actions allows models to identify facilities with a high probability of future serious events. When inspections reveal patterns associated with increased risk, inspectors and licensing officials are automatically alerted, enabling early intervention.

Predictive analytics also strengthens performance management. Agencies can compare their metrics against industry norms, seeing where they stand within their sector. This supports investment decisions and enables precise tracking of improvement outcomes.

Agencies should focus on automating controls that meaningfully reduce, not simply increasing the percentage of automated controls. High-impact controls should be prioritized for automation and predictive monitoring to maximize security and operational benefits.

For decision makers, predictive analytics delivers the context and accuracy needed to make fast, informed decisions across claims, vendor management, resource allocation and strategic planning.

Digital Transformation as Organizational Necessity

Despite rapid technological advancement, human expertise remains essential. AI systems are designed to operate behind the scenes and do not require users to understand machine learning (ML) concepts. Small teams define the required outcomes, what must be classified, what data must be extracted and what predictions will improve decisions, while professional services configure the system accordingly.

AI adoption does not inherently reduce headcount. Historically, technology shifts transform jobs rather than eliminate them. Workflows move from manual tasks like sorting documents to higher-value work such as analysis, decision making and innovation. Employees focus on defining requirements, reviewing AI outputs and applying human judgement where it adds value.

The Measurable Value of AI Implementation

Agencies can begin their journey by identifying their key performance indicators and the business outcomes they want to improve:

  • What pain points cause the most friction?
  • Where do backlogs accumulate?
  • Which processes create the most risk?

This ensures implementation is tied to measurable outcomes. AI success depends on clear requirements, proper process, staff training and strong governance. Agencies should adopt AI incrementally, starting with high-value use cases that deliver quick wins, then expanding into more complex workflows and predictive models as confidence grows.

Digitization mandates and the rise of generative AI have accelerated content creation beyond expectations, driving significant growth for platforms like VisualVault. The agencies that succeed will be those that embrace this shift and modernize now.

Watch VisualVault’s webinar “Employing AI to Bring Order and Value to Enterprise Records Management” to explore detailed demonstrations of AI-powered classification, extraction and predictive analytics capabilities that can transform your agency’s records management operations.

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 VisualVault, 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.

Building Sustainable Automation: How Government Agencies Can Scale IT Operations for the AI Era

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Despite investing in numerous automation tools, Government agencies still struggle to achieve true operational efficiency. The issue is not a lack of technology, but the need to better align organizational processes with automation strategies. Agencies often find that automation scattered across teams does not equate to automation at scale.

For State and Local Government agencies navigating budget constraints, workforce transitions and mounting pressure to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), understanding how to make automation sustainable is now mission critical.

Understanding the Foundation

The most effective automation transformations begin not with technology selection but with process evaluation. Agencies that achieve lasting results recognize that automation amplifies existing workflows, accelerating efficient processes while exposing areas in need of standardization. The key lies in establishing organizational readiness before scaling solutions.

Experience shows that technical excellence alone does not guarantee adoption. Many organizations implement advanced automation tools only to see them underutilized because processes were not standardized first. This pattern repeats across ticketing, project management and AI initiatives when solutions are deployed before process design. Sustainable change requires equal focus on culture, workflow and collaboration.

The distinction between organizational and technical capability becomes clear during initiatives like enterprise-wide patching. While patching might appear technically simple, it requires coordination across teams, standardized processes and consistent execution. When approached strategically, patching strengthens structures and communication across departments.

Moving Beyond Linear Scaling

Traditional methods for managing IT complexity have centered on workforce expansion, but modern infrastructure requires new thinking. As organizations add personnel to manage new systems, coordination overhead grows, reducing visibility and collaboration, which then drives additional staffing needs. This challenge extends beyond budgets. Larger teams face higher coordination demands, and IT professionals often overlook their time as an organizational resource until capacity constraints emerge. The question is not just about staffing; it is about designing systems that scale efficiently.

For Government agencies, this issue is especially pressing. Retirements and limited hiring flexibility leave positions unfilled, putting institutional knowledge at risk and resulting in expanding workloads for current employees. In this environment, automation becomes a strategic enabler for maintaining service levels and mission delivery. Manual processes scale linearly, while infrastructure complexity grows exponentially. Centralized automation helps break this cycle by handling routine operations, freeing staff to focus on work that demands human expertise.

Creating Connected Workflows

Sustainable automation strategies move beyond isolated, team-specific implementations toward centralized platforms that enable consistent workflows across the organization. Many agencies have distributed automation capabilities, where infrastructure teams automate provisioning, security teams automate compliance validation and network teams automate configuration, but these workflows often lack seamless integration.

Red Hat, Building Sustainable Automation blog, embedded image, 2025

A single application deployment spans multiple domains, such as provisioning, networking, security scanning, compliance validation and monitoring. When automation operates independently, staff must still coordinate manual handoffs between automated steps. According to Conway’s Law, organizations design systems that reflect their communication structures; fragmented communication results in fragmented architecture.

Centralized platforms address this by establishing shared, standardized automation for common tasks. Instead of multiple teams maintaining separate scripts, one validated and documented process can serve all. This approach enhances auditability, improves consistency, enables scalable growth and eliminates redundant development. Updates to shared workflows require modifying a single authoritative source rather than tracking changes across multiple implementations.

Importantly, centralization is as much about culture and process as technology. Success depends on clear communication of the value of standardization, demonstrating tangible benefits and building trust that centralized approaches will serve all teams effectively. When alignment is achieved, automation platforms reach their full potential, transforming disconnected efforts into unified, scalable operations.

Building the Foundation for Advanced Technologies

The growing interest in AI has created momentum for agencies to explore new solutions, but success requires careful groundwork. Agencies realize the greatest benefits from AI when they first established stable, standardized automation foundations. MIT research shows that 95% of enterprise AI solutions encounter challenges not because of model quality but due to integration difficulties and organizational readiness. Effective AI deployment depends on how well technology integrates within existing workflows.

Many agencies have expanded infrastructure incrementally, developing complex architectures held together by manual processes and specialized expertise. Deploying AI on such foundations is difficult. AI cannot effectively optimize systems when the underlying processes lack consistent automation. In practice, agencies deploying AI to optimize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) operations or automate incident response achieve better results when data and workflows are standardized. This consistency enables organizations to act confidently on AI-driven insights.

Building AI readiness involves working backward from AI’s requirements: integrated systems that share data reliably, standardized processes that AI can learn from and consistent execution that produces trustworthy patterns. Agencies that mature their automation capabilities create the foundation AI needs to succeed, significantly improving the likelihood of achieving meaningful results from AI investments.

Partnering for Success

Achieving sustainable automation is a progressive journey best supported by experienced partners. Leading strategies emphasize a “crawl, walk, run” approach:

  1. Start with a manageable scope
  2. Expand systematically
  3. Build organizational capability over time

This measured progression ensures transformation occurs sustainably for the teams implementing and maintaining these systems.

Many agencies are undertaking comprehensive automation for the first time, making guidance from experienced organizations like Red Hat particularly valuable. Effective partnerships emphasize knowledge transfer over dependency, helping agencies build autonomous, capable teams rather than relying on long-term external support.

The results of this approach are measurable. Red Hat customers have achieved 50% faster networking provisioning, 65% reductions in certain provisioning activities and 67% improvements in other operational areas, freeing staff for innovation and strategic initiatives. These gains also reduce unplanned downtime and improve the overall quality of life for IT teams.

This journey addresses multiple organizational objectives simultaneously. Leadership achieves cost optimization and stronger security, while practitioners gain time, efficiency and better work-life balance. Sustainable automation delivers across these dimensions because the same standardization that drives efficiency also enhances security and empowers staff to focus on meaningful challenges.

Government agencies have reached a pivotal moment where growing infrastructure complexity demands a more evolved approach to IT operations. The path forward lies in fundamentally integrating automation into organizational processes and culture. By prioritizing standardization, embracing centralization and partnering for sustainable transformation, agencies can develop scalable automation strategies that prepare the organizations to leverage emerging technologies like AI.To discover proven strategies for building sustainable automation foundations that prepare your agency for advanced technology adoption, watch Red Hat’s webinar, “The Backbone of Modern Government: Sustainable Automation at Scale.”

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 Red Hat, 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.

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.

Forecasting Resilience: How Atlas 14 Strengthens Stormwater and Sewer Design

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What forward-leaning State and Local agencies are doing to turn risk into readiness.

Most of us in public works know exactly what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlas 14 is, where it is used and why it matters. What has changed lately is not the definition, it is the urgency.

Across jurisdictions, we are seeing the same trend: Flood risk is up, funding scrutiny is rising and legacy assumptions are hitting resistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that over 75% of federally declared disasters are flood-related, and NOAA’s latest data shows record-setting rainfall intensity increasing across several states.

So, it is no surprise that design criteria anchored in decades-old rainfall estimates are facing hard questions during permitting and public review. For teams navigating FEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and local requirements, the gap between historical design standards and current expectations has never been more apparent.

That is where updated Atlas 14 data is reshaping workflows—not in concept, but in practice.

A Familiar Tool, New Pressures

Atlas 14 has always been foundational, but recent updates and regulatory emphasis have made it non-negotiable in many contexts. Whether it is used to update a stormwater ordinance or justify capital investments, the message is clear: Designs that do not reflect this data face uphill battles—especially when tied to Federal funding.

In North Carolina, for example, several jurisdictions have already adjusted their stormwater management ordinances to explicitly require Atlas 14 integration. Fairfax County’s own guidelines mandate its use in culvert sizing and detention basin design. And in Texas, new flood risk mitigation plans are using Atlas 14 data as a baseline for grant applications under FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The bottom line: If your designs are not grounded in this data, your funding case—and your technical case—can be hard to defend.

With rainfall intensity trending higher across multiple regions, stormwater programs that once relied on 10- or 25-year benchmarks are now expected to model 50- and 100-year events—or even higher.

Design For What Is Likely, Defend Against What Is Possible

Colleagues across State and Local Government (SLG) are asking the same question: How can we use this data not just for box-checking, but for making better decisions? How do we defend design assumptions in permit review? How do we model flood events that reflect local topography and future rainfall patterns? How can we show that our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) priorities align with resilience goals, rather than just meeting regulatory minimums?

That is where predictive modeling comes in. Teams using tools like Bentley OpenFlows Sewer or Bentley OpenFlows Storm are leveraging Atlas 14 as a referenced input to:

  • Run scenario comparisons based on updated precipitation probabilities
  • Assess cascading impacts across watershed and sewer networks

The result? Models that are both technically sound and strategically aligned—with funding cycles, risk standards and permitting expectations.

Join Leading Experts to Learn More

But even with strong tools and solid data, the path forward is not always clear. We have heard from agencies weighing how to phase in new standards across legacy systems, how to navigate inconsistencies between State and Federal expectations and how to model flood risk in a way that resonates with both engineers and elected officials.

It is time to take a practical look at how SLG agencies are integrating Atlas 14 into their workflows, especially as new standards and funding opportunities continue to evolve.

Join us on November 13, 2025, to learn more.

If your team is mapping out what is next—or preparing to defend the next infrastructure request—this session will offer insight into what is working across the sector.

Conclusion

We do not need to be convinced of the value of Atlas 14. We use it every day. But as expectations shift and standards evolve, how we apply it matters more than ever.

This is not about reintroducing the data. It is about strengthening the decisions built on it.

Join us for Bentley and Carahsoft’s webinar, “Future-Proofing Flood Modeling: Meeting Today’s Federal Standards and Tomorrow’s Flood Risks,” on November 13, 2025. Register Now.

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 Bentley, 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.