Gen. Jim Mattis, the former secretary of defense during the start of the Trump administration, made a special appearance Wednesday at DefenseTalks. And while he touched on a number of things, from leadership to politics and the military’s adoption of emerging technology, he made some pretty critical comments about the state of the nation amid the upcoming election and its vulnerability to influence operations from key adversaries like Russia and China. Mattis said that while election systems and voting infrastructure are perhaps the most secure they’ve ever been against cyberattacks, the bigger problem is influence operations, calling the U.S. the most vulnerable he’s ever seen it in his lifetime to foreign influence and a lucrative target. During the on-stage interview, Mattis also touched on the nation’s cyber defenses, throwing water on the idea from some to form an independent U.S. military cyber service for foreign operations. However, he did call for a new model to protect the homeland’s critical infrastructure from cyber attacks, namely by sharing some of the resources housed within the U.S. military and NSA with DHS in emergency scenarios. But, Mattis said because the military doesn’t have authority to issue orders over matters happening within the U.S. and its infrastructure, there would need to be a civilian law enforcement leader — he proposed the FBI — who would step in to lead response to a major cyberattack on the homeland.

Gen. Mattis says the U.S. is the most vulnerable it’s ever been to influence operations

Today on The Daily Scoop Podcast… from The Scoop News Group.
Pentagon CIO John Sherman is leaving government And, Microsoft rolls back a highly criticized AI security tool.

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Pentagon CIO John Sherman is leaving government

The Department of Veterans Affairs, like many federal agencies, is facing a tightening budget landscape. Because of that, resources to support modernization and emerging tech adoption can be hard to come by. 


FedScoop reporter Caroline Nihill spoke recently with Charles Worthington, the dual-hatted chief technology officer and chief AI officer for the VA. During their wide-ranging discussion, they touch on the VA’s AI adoption, the constrained budget environment, infrastructure challenges, and much more.

An interview with Charles Worthington, VA’s CTO and CAIO

GSA takes new steps to secure the software acquisition process And, the White House goes against the idea of an Army Drone Corps

GSA takes new steps to secure the software acquisition process

There’s a pair of new bipartisan Senate bills out this week that looks to foster responsible AI adoption in two key areas: federal acquisition and small businesses.

New bipartisan Senate bills look to tackle AI challenges

The VA extends its EHR contract with Oracle Cerner for   another 11 months. And, a scathing Senate report on regulating hedge funds’ use of AI.

The VA extends its EHR contract with Oracle Center for another 11 months

CISA leads its first tabletop exercise for AI cybersecurity

And, lawmakers question Microsoft president over China ties, repeated breaches

CISA leads its first tabletop exercise for AI cybersecurity

Today on The Daily Scoop Podcast, Capt. Brian Erickson was appointed as the U.S. Coast Guard’s first ever chief data officer in 2021. Not long after that, the service added artificial intelligence to his portfolio, making him also the first chief data and AI officer for the Coast Guard. Now Erickson has been called on by the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency for the Coast Guard, to serve as deputy director for the department’s presidential transition office.

As he makes the switch to that new role, Erickson recently sat down for an exit interview of sorts to share what he accomplished during his time as CDAO for the Coast Guard, his nontraditional path to a career in technology, what’s ahead as he pivots to focus on the 2024 presidential transition, and much more.

The Coast Guard’s AI chief takes a new role focused on the 2024 presidential transition

A podcast covering the latest news & trends facing top government leaders on topics such as technology, management & workforce. Hosted by Billy Mitchell on FedScoop and released every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Gen. Mattis says the U.S. is the most vulnerable it’s ever been to influence operations

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