Rapid modernization is a way of life at the Pentagon. But lessons learned from Ukraine and an era of global competition are accelerating the Department of Defense’s (DoD) vision to strengthen its technical superiority. To that end, the Pentagon is working with the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), allies, academia, and partners to prototype new concepts. The initiative, known as the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER), will pursue 14 critical technology areas vital to national security including quantum science, trusted AI and autonomy, future G, integrated sensing and cyber, and more. But just as these innovations – many of them derived from commercial technologies – add military value, they also create new challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic kicked remote learning – and digital transformation – into a whole new dimension. But even before the pandemic, many universities supported both on-campus and off-campus learning. However, transitioning from a classroom environment to online or virtual education is fraught with obstacles. This is especially true for higher education institutions with limited resources. Students, faculty, and staff expect to be able to access IT systems semlessly and securely from anywhere. Western Kentucky University (WKU) is an example of a university who was successful in that venture. Let’s take a look at this example and walk through a few steps that will help other institutions meet a similar goal.

The Improving Digital Identity Act of 2021 gives agencies the incentive and funds needed to protect citizens’ digital data.

When a person interacts with a state agency or healthcare provider, one of the first pieces of information the organization asks for is a driver’s license or Social Security number. Over the course of a lifetime this request is repeated which results in the person releasing more information about themselves. Personal identifiable information such as this is highly valuable and gives hackers reason to attempt to infiltrate government networks to steal that information. Agencies need a way to validate this information and keep it secure. The IDI Act legislates how to do this and gives states a budget to upgrade their systems and processes accordingly. How can states maximize these funds and improve their internal security processes?

The U.S. Air Force leads a growing number of federal entities that are deploying digital twins in novel and exciting ways because it’s devoted significant research and development resources toward such endeavors. Digital twinning involves creating a virtual model of a system so that it can undergo early simulation and testing without the expense and time of creating a prototype. Such insights require high-performance computing and vast amounts of data, which can place a tremendous strain on the IT infrastructure of the Department of Defense. Are there strategies that the Air Force and other federal organizations can adopt to address this impending strain?

The Department of State’s (DOS) plan to modernize American diplomacy has two focuses: adopting critical and emerging technologies and strengthening cybersecurity.Yet, a recent survey indicates IT complexity is a top challenge when it comes to protecting against cybersecurity threats. That’s why the DOS must adopt a security-first approach when building and deploying new IT infrastructure. By shifting security left, the organization will be better positioned to successfully balance modernization with security.

Here are three ways the DOS and other government agencies can achieve this objective.

Public cloud, private cloud, and multi-cloud – what are the benefits and challenges of each one? There are different levels of clouds to choose from and you have to figure out which is best for each system in your organization. Learn more in this Health Care IT article featuring Scott Pross, Vice President of Technology at Monalytic, a SolarWinds Company.

Technology is essential to the U.S. Navy, but never more so than when it is employed to assure command and control. However, rapid advances by other nations and evolving threats, including cyberattacks and information blockades, will require the Navy to make significant changes and improvements in how it will use and protect its current, planned, and forecasted information-based capabilities. As the Navy seeks to advance information dominance under Assured C2, here are three strategies designed to help.

As school districts have returned to campus this fall, education leaders will be monitoring IT and ed tech spend. Performance and cost will be top of mind. While many districts continue to move to cloud environments due to their collaboration capabilities, scalability, and improved security, sometimes legacy systems can make sense too. Legacy systems remain critical to K–12 operations but IT leaders must be cognizant of the cybersecurity risks that these systems pose — and whether a move to the cloud is best for the district.

According to the annual SolarWinds Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey, IT complexity is the most significant obstacle to strengthening the security postures of government agencies — pushing budget constraints to second place for the first time ever.

When asked, 66% of government IT operations and security decision-makers said their IT environment is extremely or very complex to manage, which can expose them to potential cyber risks and threats.

Because managing complex IT environments is linked intrinsically to overall security, federal IT professionals and business leaders must implement the right strategies to maintain the integrity and security of their organizations. In this article, we will highlight the top four.

Many state governments are in various phases of digital transformation projects, with some legacy applications served by on-premises equipment while others move to hybrid clouds. It’s entirely possible that a state or local government might even employ multiple cloud providers and different cloud types.

All of that freedom is great for getting the best deals on infrastructure, but it can make for a very complex computing environment consisting of different types of clouds, assets and dependencies. The SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability platform is designed to map it all out — displaying it visually so that IT staffers can easily understand how their entire enterprise network is performing — and to optimize connections by troubleshooting problems or bottlenecks.

Insider threats (alternatively known as careless or untrained insiders) continue to be a problem for the public sector. According to SolarWinds 2023 Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey, 68% of respondents cited careless or untrained employees as one of the highest sources of security threats, second only to foreign governments. Educating your employees about the dangers of these attacks and putting in proper safeguards to prevent them is critical. Here are three strategies to help employees become more aware of threats and build a better security posture from the inside.

Computer vulnerabilities, threats, and security practices are similar in every industry. But health care presents particular challenges, discussed in this video with John Wilson, Director of Sales, SLED and Healthcare at SolarWinds and Scott Pross, Vice President of Technology, Monalytic, a SolarWinds company. Some of the advanced topics discussed included the demands of cloud computing and the needs posed by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which Wilson said were underappreciated. Wilson said that the challenges of IoT include compliance with privacy and security regulations, security flaws, and the volume of data created

Watch the video for more insights into security, including SolarWinds’ “leadership dashboard” that lets managers understand the impact that an IT failure has on their business activities.

Late last year, the Defense Department announced a $9 billion multi-cloud contract spread across Amazon Web Services, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft. The Pentagon’s decision to pursue a multi-cloud approach reflects a growing trend among federal agencies. Adopting a multi-cloud strategy is a smart move. It provides federal agencies with the flexibility to use the best cloud for any workload, objective and budgetary consideration.Despite these benefits, a multi-cloud strategy can often feel chaotic, complex and difficult to manage.

To fully leverage the advantages of multi-cloud approaches, the federal government must have an effective strategy in place. Let’s look at four steps they can take to build a supportive framework.

Artificial intelligence technology has recently caused a stir in the IT world and beyond. But how can state and local governments best harness it? Agencies may benefit from taking a broader view of the current landscape for AI in local government and look at how machine learning assists public organizations, along with AI’s potential pitfalls. But there’s another way states can get a grip on AI: through AIOps.

Nashville, Tenn., might be known for pioneering country music, but it’s also become a leader in a different type of orchestration: using artificial intelligence to improve citizens’ lives.

Last fall, Vanderbilt University, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and others formed the CIRCLES Consortium, using AI and deep learning to improve traffic flow within the rapidly congested city. Over 2,500 hours, 100 AI-equipped vehicles assessed traffic patterns, fuel economy, air quality and more on stretches of Interstate 24, one of many examples of state and local governments leveraging AI to deliver better experiences.

But as agencies continue investing in AI, machine learning, automation and related technologies, they must ensure their back-end systems also operate efficiently, intelligently and correctly. That’s where observability and AI for IT operations (AIOps) come in.

For the first time in history, IT complexity has surpassed budget constraints as the most significant obstacle public sector organizations face in hardening their cybersecurity postures. The findings come from the eighth annual SolarWinds Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey of government IT operations and security decision-makers. The surprising cause of this complexity is often the same technological investments meant to modernize government. Against this backdrop, federal IT pros seek stability, control, and a break from burnout. Which raises the question: How can agencies move forward with their modernization efforts if IT teams are swamped with alerts and issues?

When the Biden administration asked Congress to approve $300 million of additional money for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) in fiscal year 2023 (FY2023), hopes were high that agencies would finally have the financial backing necessary to truly accelerate digital transformation. Yet, when Congress passed its $1.7 trillion government funding bill and allocated just $50 million for the TMF fund, agencies were forced to pivot.

The budget shortfall means agencies must continue to balance doing more with less while advancing mission-critical IT objectives. As they put these plans into practice, here are four strategies to help organizations move forward while keeping financial acumen top of mind.

Tune into the latest episode of the To The Point Cybersecurity podcast where SolarWinds President and CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna discusses the need for greater transparency and information sharing in cybersecurity, the company’s Secure by Design initiative, the use of AIOps to enhance customer productivity, and more.

The U.S. Army’s ambitious plan to consolidate its Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems with the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications Tactical into a unified network will provide warfighters with better and more dependable network access and services.

The success of this large-scale, continuous modernization effort will require an all-hands approach to ensure the new combination of disparate and previously separate technologies operates smoothly and securely—now and in the future. Here are three strategies the Army can employ to manage these challenges effectively.

In this blog post for Carahsoft, SolarWinds CISO and Vice President of Security, Tim Brown dicusses his lessons learned from the Sunburst incident and some key takeaways to keep in mind while responding to a large-scale cyberattack.

The cybersecurity staffing challenge continues. Government IT operations and security decision-makers cite “an insufficient number of IT staff” as the top barrier to hardening their cybersecurity posture. Without sufficient personnel, state and local agencies must augment their staff with the right approach and procedures. Technologies can make it easier to mine through vast amounts of data, monitor anomalies in their digital infrastructure, and shorten the mean time to detection. In this article, SolarWinds’ SLED and Healthcare Director of Sales, John Wilson discusses three strategies agencies can deploy when cyber talent is out of reach.

DevOps was barely on the government’s radar 20 years ago, with a typical agency’s development teams working in silos. This was highly inefficient, as all processes — including monitoring, testing, and development — had to be done manually. Projects took days, if not weeks or months, to complete. The demand for efficiency grew as technology evolved, and once it became obvious that collaboration between developers and IT operations was needed, DevOps was born. However with this process came drawbacks, specifically, approximately $100 billion in federal IT spending went toward operating outdated, i legacy systems rather than automation. Depsite this setback, there are still advantages to implenting DevOps.

Agencies face numerous challenges when managing and securing IT environments in today’s digital landscape. According to the SolarWinds Public Sector 8th Annual Cybersecurity Survey, the complexities of cybersecurity in internal environments are a significant obstacle to improving the cybersecurity of an organization’s environment. Learn more in this article about best practices to implement when it comes to managing and securing your IT infrastructure.

The adoption of remote healthcare is continuing its meteoric rise. The U.S. telehealth market is expected to reach $309.9 billion by 2030 and hospital environments are growing increasingly complex as the Internet of Medical Things becomes more mainstream.

These aspects pose new challenges for healthcare IT professionals who must manage and secure medical devices and critical data at the network’s edge. How can they navigate such issues? Here are three edge computing strategies to ensure IoMT devices work correctly and securely.

During a panel discussion hosted by IT management firm SolarWinds at the Rayburn House Office Building, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers suggested the model Ukraine is employing to combat Russian hacking may be useful for U.S. industry and government agencies if laid out properly. What key takeaways can be gleaned from this model and what role does collaboration play in this intiative?

While discussing the threat that the Chinese government poses to America when it comes to cybersecurity, one congressman stated that our nation should look to implementing a Cyber National Guard Corps. During SolarWinds’ Secure by Design event on Capitol Hill, Rep. Raja Krishanmoorthi, D-Ill., said that people are “hungering” for the ability to serve for a cyber-specific National Guard. Rep. Krishanmoorthi joined SolarWinds President and CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, and CISA’s Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Eric Goldstein for a panel discussion on the state of cybersecurity and the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors.

Imagine a world where citizens could quickly and easily report issues to city hall without having to identify the correct department or phone number. If a road sign were damaged, a citizen could upload a photo of it to an app built to automatically categorize the issue and route it to the appropriate contact. You don’t have to imagine. The capability exists; it’s called deep learning. Deep learning mimics the way the human brain acquires knowledge, makes decisions and filters those decisions to the appropriate places. But how do state and local agencies begin a path toward deep learning? Let’s look at four key success factors.

Schools and colleges are home to thousands of IT assets. For IT departments, however, these computers, mobile devices, and other digital assets provide endless challenges. Each asset must be tracked, managed, and supported—often by a small IT team.

It’s not unusual for IT pros to manage this process using email, Post-it® notes, and spreadsheets.

There’s a lot of room for efficiency in this process. One way to achieve this transformation—without costs getting out of control—is to automate the IT service desk.

Federal agencies are drilling for more and more data to glean new insights and improve citizen services and one way they can do this is through deep learning. Deep learning takes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to new heights by using deep neural networks to automatically mimic how the human brain acquires knowledge and makes decisions. New use cases emerge every day, but how can the federal government begin a path toward deep learning, and how can database managers prepare?

In this article, we’ll discuss four key success factors to consider.

State and local governments are embracing edge computing in a big way. Spending on edge solutions worldwide is expected to be $208 billion in 2023, rising to $317 billion in 2026, according to IDC’s latest study. Several factors are contributing to this increased investment. At the state and local level, edge is the backbone of smart cities.However, citizens are rightly sensitive to the collection, storage and potential misuse of data collected and processed at the edge. Fortunately, there are options for securing this complex and growing environment: security automation and observability.

After serving their country and completing their military service, veterans face new challenges as they navigate separating from the military and entering the civilian job market. Hiring Our Heroes, a program founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to helping veterans successfully transition to civilian life and corporate America. The program operates out of 17 locations across the U.S. so that they may place program fellows anywhere in the country. Government Technology Insider had an opportunity to sit down with Chip Daniels, Vice President of Government Affairs at SolarWinds, for a closer look at the program and the benefits it brings to corporate America, the federal government, and veterans alike.

In this weekly edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features, this article will provide a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more in the healthcare IT space.

Securing the supply chain has become increasingly important as a rise in cyberattacks has occurred. This has prompted a new wave of legislative activity that focuses on mitigating supply chain hacks and promotes cooperation between the public and private sectors. Software supply chain hacks are now the most prevalent form of cyberattack. According to the latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 62 percent of system intrusion incidents came through a third-party, highlighting the difficulties that many organizations – including federal agencies – face in securing their supply chain. A recent flurry of legislative activity demands that CISOs step-up their supply chain due diligence – and fast. Given this issue, this article provides some suggestions on how the agencies and industry can join forces to collaborate.

Agencies are going bigger and getting bolder with their use of hybrid and multicloud environments, even as they attempt to simplify their cloud infrastructures. But the more agencies invest in the cloud and adjacent technologies such as edge devices and 5G, the more complicated things get. The problem is that the data sets and the tools required to process them have become so complex that it’s nearly impossible to uncover the root cause when something goes wrong, at least through traditional network monitoring. An error anywhere in the system can take hours or even days to discover. Fortunately, there are better options for this type of complex environment: observability and AI for IT operations, or AIOps.

Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) is a program that connects the military community to job opportunities at corporations across America. Veterans bring unique skills to the workforce, such as project management, teamwork, and a culture of collaboration, to name a few. Tim Schnelle, Federal Program Manager at SolarWinds, a fellow from HOH, met with Government Technology Insider to further explore the benefits of hiring former service members.

Modernizing IT is a priority for all levels of government. Despite its importance, a recent National Association of State Technology Directors study found only 50% of the 38 states surveyed have “budget mechanisms for specifically addressing IT modernization.” At the same time, 84% reported they had increased cloud services—and 76% increased their network infrastructure and bandwidth—because of the pandemic. To put it mildly, growing and scaling services without a budget isn’t ideal. However, building economic efficiencies into an increasingly complex, sophisticated IT environment is possible. Here’s a look at how developers and operations management teams can better understand and manage the cost of application modernization programs:

In an age when critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly attractive to bad actors, state and local governments must strengthen their cybersecurity best practices. In 2021 alone, 58% of state and local agencies were affected by ransomware attacks. Among the state systems crucial to the everyday lives of citizens, traffic management systems are one of the most important. If an attack disrupts transportation, the outcome could be catastrophic. In response to the growing threat, transportation agencies are increasingly looking to adopt a traffic management infrastructure built around the concept of automation and AI-powered observability. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of this concept:

Electronic sports, better known as esports, is a massive industry. Schools are continuing to integrate esports into afterschool programs and team sports but the growth of esports is also attracting an undesirable element — hackers. Since students are less aware of potential cyber risks, bad actors are increasingly targeting esports accounts to steal personally identifiable information (PII) and wreak havoc on other systems on school networks. However, there are options that schools can take to secure their esports environment.

The federal government collects vast amounts of data. However, data isn’t meaningful without context and if it’s not in the hands of the right people at the right time. The data takes a complex journey through systems and across networks to ensure it gets to the right entity. To protect this “journey,” agencies must understand the interdependencies between the various heterogeneous systems. In this article we’ll discuss three ways observability can help federal IT pros work smarter, not harder as they harness data to fulfill their missions.

A whole new world is coming to the federal government: a virtual world. Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, the internet of things, 5G, and more, augmented and virtual reality — commonly called “extended reality” (XR) — is transforming how agencies deliver services, train warfighters, conduct operations in the field, and operate remotely. However, the technologies enabling XR are only as good as the infrastructure they run on. How can this brave new virtual world be realized? Let’s look at three key areas underpinning XR and how agencies can prepare for the future.

Software supply chain hacks are now the most prevalent form of cyberattack. According to the latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 62% of system intrusion incidents came through a third-party, highlighting the difficulties that many organizations – including federal agencies – face in securing their supply chain. Although questions arise, one thing is clear – software supply chain security can’t be solved by directives and guidelines alone. Head of Government Affairs from SolarWinds, Chip Daniels offers his take on how the agencies and industry can join forces to collaborate.

From strategy and governance to selection of service and procurement, the cloud is key for CIOs at every level of state and local government. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) found cloud services and cloud solutions, as well as cloud technologies applications and tools, were top priorities for state CIOs this year. This focus on the cloud will continue, according to Gartner, as entities of all kinds face extreme pressure to digitize and modernize outdated IT systems, solutions, and services however some users admit that they aren’t fully equipped to manage complexity. What can be done to combat this crisis in confidence?

When people experience an emergency or life-threatening situation, they dial 911 with the expectation that help will quickly be on the way. However, due to emergency center staffing shortages, large call volumes and other factors, 911 response times have increased in recent years which has caused serious delays in some cities. Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems are doing their part to make emergency response times shorter and more efficient. But many CAD systems operate off older legacy 911 networks, are buckling under the weight of unsustainable amounts of traffic and are vulnerable to configuration errors or even cybersecurity attacks. In this article, Group Vice President of Product Strategy at SolarWinds, Brandon Shopp discusses three steps you can take to significantly improve the performance of your CAD systems—and get first responders to the scene more quickly.

Healthcare organizations are dealing with a deluge of data. Nowhere is this truer than at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Staff members at HHS are responsible for recording, housing, and protecting the sensitive data—such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, and insurance information of over 330 million Americans. Agencies and the private sector alike can’t afford to manually sort through data, especially if budget constraints and staffing shortages are at play. To overcome these challenges, here are three data management strategies healthcare organizations must consider.

In October 2022, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) revealed that multiple hackers had compromised a defense industrial base organization, gaining long-term access to the environment and exfiltrating sensitive data and those threats are increasing. Since 2015, the DoD has experienced over 12,000 cyber incidents. To achieve greater network resilience, here are three steps that federal IT leaders can take to prepare for an unpredictable future and safeguard its networks – and those of its contractors – from malicious cyber activity.

Natural disasters can disrupt daily activities, cause destruction, and also cost cities and states millions. In 2021 alone, the United States experienced 97 natural disaster strikes — including blizzards, hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, heatwaves, and drought — costing $145 billion. One of the most pressing challenges when disaster strikes is recuperating infrastructure damage — particularly transportation infrastructure. To mitigate these challenges and achieve a more comprehensive view of the complete network, state and local agencies are increasingly looking to adopt a traffic management infrastructure built around artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. What are the benefits for this strategy?

Over the last 20 years, natural disasters have increased by 163 percent nationwide. These events don’t just cost states millions, or even billions, of dollars—they also disrupt citizens and government agencies for days, weeks, and months afterward. Additionally, when a disaster strikes, networks and systems can also experience significant disruptions or failures. Agencies must adopt new approaches to disaster planning and network monitoring. How? Let’s look at three best practices and technologies agencies must consider.

“As technology remains a key part of the educational experience, IT teams continue improving processes that focus on enhancing educational outcomes while ensuring resilience across the digital ecosystem.
But, with a new year around the corner, IT teams may be asking: “What should our priorities be in 2023?”

To help answer that question, here are three considerations IT leaders must consider as they plan their 2023 IT strategy.”

“In the coming years, the Department of Defense (DoD) will spend billions of dollars on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which will include the expansion of the fleet through the Blue UAS effort, training, and maintenance. However, there are challenges to monitoring the security and performance of these mobile endpoints—and the complex 5G networks they depend on.

How, then, can federal IT pros reap the benefits of UAS and 5G while bolstering the DoD’s IT infrastructure to realize those advantages without consequence?”

“The Defense Information System Agency is exploring a so-called gray network gateway infrastructure that allows remote workers – in theater, on mobile devices, and in field offices – to quickly access classified information using encryption.

Architecturally, gray networks sit between inner and outer VPN tunnels and provide an extra layer of security for encrypted classified data as it moves across an untrusted network. While DISA stressed the urgency of the project, gray network implementation may be easier said than done – especially when it comes to monitoring the performance of network components and traffic hidden behind multiple gateways and dual-encrypted tunnels. “

Government agencies increasingly rely on high performance computing (HPC) to manage large volumes of data and put that data to work to solve mission critical challenges. In recent years, HPC has helped the federal government develop treatments for COVID-19, conduct military simulations, and advance scientific discovery. And with the complexities of the challenges facing the US today, the demand for HPC is only going to continue to grow. Let’s look at three critical steps government agencies can take to manage HPC workloads now and in the future.

2022 ‘ASTORS’ a Hit in NYC: Honoring Homeland Security Winners. Among the honorees, SolarWinds was recognized for Best IT Access Control & Authentication Solution, Best Network Management Solution, and Best Security Incident & Event Management Solution (SIEM). Read more in this article about the other honorees that were recognized.

Serverless architecture is not a new concept in government IT, but it is in the early phases of adoption. When it comes to computer models, it’s an upcoming trend to keep an eye on. Among the benefits of serverless architecture — also known as serverless computing or function-as-a-service (FaaS) — are reduced costs compared to traditional cloud computing models, as well as easier maintenance. Importantly, the implementation of serverless architectures can also facilitate more strategic government initiatives such as IT modernization and financial planning, enabling agencies to achieve their missions more efficiently and cost-effectively. With this in mind, Brandon Shopp, Group Vice President of SolarWinds, discusses some key factors to consider with this implementation.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the pressure to accelerate IT modernization initiatives, there was an overwhelming demand for technical tools and resources in our nation’s public schools. Yet — then and now — the path to digital transformation is fraught with hurdles. This is especially true for districts with limited resources, budget constraints, lengthy procurement processes, and legacy systems which can be cumbersome and challenging to update.Read more in this article to learn how the Alum Rock Union School District approached this challenge.

Software supply chain hacks are on the rise. According to the 2022 Verizon® Data Breach Investigations Report, 62% of cyberattacks originate through an organization’s supplier, often in the form of malicious code injected into a vendor’s software offerings. These threats are highly sophisticated, well-resourced, and persistent. Understanding the attacker’s weaknesses is key to preventing a supply chain hack from escalating. In this article, we’ll look at three key practices agencies can follow to better protect against the growing threat of supply chain attacks and help ensure the software they procure doesn’t serve as a threat vector.

Agencies once skeptical about the potential of edge computing have become emboldened by its power and potential. A recent NextGov report highlighted several edge computing use cases, including programs implemented by the United States Postal Service, the Department of Defense, and others. The programs have been highly effective in bringing greater efficiencies and intelligence to their organizations. Learn more in this article.

Public sector technology professionals have a concerning lack of confidence in managing today’s complex, hybrid IT environments. Several factors have contributed to this, including cloud migration, hybrid office environments, distributed workforces, and the rapid adoption of new technologies, according to the 2022 SolarWinds IT Trends Report. There are, however, ways to counter this crisis of confidence and prepare federal tech pros for this brave new world. In this article, here are three factors to consider.

Supply chain attacks are fast becoming the vector of choice for hackers. Having up-to-date software is the first line of defense against such hacks. One way federal agencies can keep their systems current is to use digital twins for security modeling. In this article, we take a deep dive into this practice and why it’s gaining popularity as the preferred way to patch mission-critical systems and maintain software integrity.

Last year, the United States Space Force released its strategy for educating its guardians (IT professionals) on all things digital. The strategy includes software development and immersive pipelines to train and educate its workforce to operate in a digital environment. As they seek to attract and develop top IT talent, here are three best practices agencies across the government can pursue.

As your federal customers navigate increasingly complex IT environments, they need expert guidance. One long-term solution to their ongoing struggles is observability. In this article, learn more about how observability goes way beyond traditional monitoring and what capabilities you should look for to help the federal government find the right tools.

The concept of overhauling legacy systems and eliminating technical debt isn’t new to state government agencies but paying down technical debt isn’t easy. Rearchitecting decades-old systems and applications or moving them to the cloud requires long-term vision and investment and is highly dependent on a state’s priorities and what IT can support. In this article, here are three best practices to consider as state agencies look to tackle the challenge of tech debt.

America’s kids are back to school and using new tools and technology in the classroom. According to the SolarWinds Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey, 31% of the education institutions surveyed say utilizing digital services is one of their highest priorities. But with digitization comes risk. In this elearning article, take a deeper dive into each of these priorities and suggestions on how schools can move toward a more resilient cybersecurity posture.

Cybersecurity threats have become more sophisticated today as attackers continue targeting the infrastructures we rely on most. In fact, over the past 18 months, the European Union identified 24 targeted attacks on supply chains alone. In this article, we discuss best practices that your organization can implement.

To keep up with the current state of IT modernization, more and more federal agencies are turning to microservices to help them innovate faster and create a better end-user experience.

“According to SolarWinds recent annual Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey, 50% of security IT professionals across state agencies and 25% of local governments selected “low budgets” as the leading challenge plaguing their team’s success.

Despite limited funds, state IT professionals face the same challenges of managing critical systems essential to the mission and delivering citizen services. The question remains how can they do this successfully with less budget and resources?”

SolarWinds, a provider of IT and application management platforms, announced the launch of SolarWinds Federal Premium Support, Monalytic Federal Professional Services, and Monalytic Federal Deployment Services – Fixed Scope, offerings designed to meet the unique needs of its public sector customers.

Today’s channel partner program & MSP market news involves Cogent Growth Partners, dbt Labs, Next Pathway, SolarWinds & more.

According to the SolarWinds Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey, 56% of federal IT operations and security decision-makers rank foreign governments as the top security threat. What does this mean for agencies and how can they move towards a more secure cybersecurity posture?

Earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ordered a “strategic review” of its electronic health records (EHR) program. While the words “strategic review” might sound ominous, VA engaging in this review signifies the agency is serious about getting this massive effort right.

In the latest Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey Report conducted by SolarWinds, 400 public sector IT professionals were surveyed and for the first time in five years, the general hacking community was named the largest source of security threats for the federal government.

The past year has forced institutions to re-evaluate their IT roadmaps in a post-pandemic world. Priorities have shifted, and the idea of returning to “normal” seems an impossible reality for higher education. This article explores three considerations higher education institutions must consider as they map out their IT priorities.

According to the 2022 SolarWinds Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey Report, 56% of federal IT operations and security decision-makers state foreign governments are now one of the top security threats, along with the general hacking community and untrained insiders. To combat these threats, here are some best practices federal agencies can implement to better attract and retain a federal cybersecurity workforce.

According to a report from SolarWinds,the accelerated move toward digital transformation spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be challenging to many as they have further embraced hybrid IT structures.

In a report released by SolarWinds, 52% of public sector IT professionals believe the acceleration of hybrid IT environments has increased the complexity of their organization’s IT management. How could this affect your organization?

More than ever before, federal agencies are responsible for managing increasingly complex, diverse, and distributed IT infrastructures. IT teams still face challenges viewing all the interdependencies between the various network, cloud, and IT functions. What’s the solution to all of this?

A SolarWinds report indicates that three-quarters of government information technology professionals surveyed within the U.S. and Canada are looking to adopt hybrid IT strategies over the next three years. What does this mean for organizations?

As the Defense Department looks into ways to modernize their data strategy, Krishna Shai discusses three network strategies the DOD should consider adopting to transform itself into a data-centric organization.

Forthcoming Office of Management and Budget guidance on secure development practices offers a chance to make the software bill of materials the standard for vendor self-attestation. But security experts say standardizing the inventory of software components down the stack, requires practical deadlines for vendors and a concrete process for using the information it contains at agencies.

Government organizations, like their private-sector counterparts, are adopting containerized environments at a rapid pace. There are good reasons for this shift in application development and operations.

As cyberattacks against businesses and government organizations reach new heights, an alarming statistic is making headlines. According to world-leading researcher Cybersecurity Ventures, the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs grew by 350%.

The threat of cyberattack is clearly increasing. This increase signals the need for a broader strategy involving both the public and private sectors. In this article, we break down the Executive Order on Federal Cybersecurity and what this means for achieving a collective defense posture.

In recognition of the many people who work every day to create next-generation improvements in security, MeriTalk is delighted to recognize our 2022 class of Cyber Defenders!

Few entities collect as much data as the Department of Defense (DoD).Yet even as these branches collaborate strategically and tactically in training and theater, a lack of system and data interoperability limits intelligence-sharing efforts such as those led by the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) program. Check out this article to learn more.

According to the new SolarWinds^® Query Report: Database Priorities and Pitfalls, implementation of DataOps in government is hindered by a lack of training, budget and buy-in from senior leaders. This article explores these roadblocks and ways to overcome these challenges.

The mix of traditional and cloud DBaaS platforms will require IT professionals to master new skills. This is nothing new; if you’ve survived in this industry for any length of time, you’ve learned to adapt regularly.To hone your skills for the shift to cloud DBaaS, Brandon Shopp offers some guidelines to follow.

The massive rise in data collection introduces new challenges in how agencies design, manage, and monitor databases. Learn more here.

As agencies pursue their modernization goals, a cloud-native approach to application development is sweeping across the government.

Due to overspending and over-provisioning, agencies can miss the opportunity to migrate to the cloud. Find out why here.

Government Technology Insider interviewed Brandon Shopp at SolarWinds, to discuss 2022’s SolarWinds Public Sector Virtual User Group.

Three best practices the Army National Guard is employing to secure, manage, and monitor its unique and dynamic network environment.

The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs.

As the pandemic lingers and cyberattacks against government networks continue unabated the U.S. Congress is taking action.

Sen. Peters and Sudhakar Ramakrishna, CEO of SolarWinds, discuss cybersecurity challenges and what future threats may arise.

For true resilience, organizations must adopt approaches capable beyond traditional network monitoring and embrace new technologies.

With the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, funds are trickling down to states. How will this share be spent?

SolarWinds has acquired Monalytic, a federal services provider with services necessary to help its public sector clients.

SolarWinds announced it has acquired Monalytic, a professional services company, and preferred SolarWinds services provider.

SolarWinds has acquired Monalytic, a monitoring, analytics, and professional services firm.

SolarWinds has purchased information technology monitoring and analytics services provider Monalytic.

SolarWinds has acquired Monalytic, a professional services firm focused on SolarWinds federal government customers.

SolarWinds acquired Monalytic, a preferred SolarWinds services provider to offer enhanced support to its federal customers.

A heavy majority of state, local and education IT officials say they are likely to follow practices in sweeping executive order…

In its seventh annual Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey Report released this morning, SolarWinds found…

Technology is evolving and so are the online threats faced by local governments, but defensive measures aren’t keeping pace…

Hacking is the largest source of security threats to the public sector, surpassing insiders for the first time in 5 years

External Threats Growing Faster Than Response Capabilities

Three things IT pros must consider to ensure continuity of learning goes off without a hitch

Establishing supply chains for quantum computing is a formidable and far-reaching task that must start now.

2021 Homeland Security Awards Presentation event featured 200 representatives of law enforcement, public safety, and industry leaders

To ramp up authentication safeguards, agencies should monitor for leaked credentials, enforce agency wide access controls

The pandemic pushed higher education institutions into an edtech spending spree–the challenge now is to revisit and reassess

State and local government and IT leaders should take concrete steps to establish governance rules and monitoring for federal funding.

Sudhakar Ramakrishna shares insights from his first year as CEO, joining just as news of the Sunburst attack first made headlines

TSA must mitigate potential vulnerabilities sometimes difficult to see within complex AI and ML algorithms.

Core technology implementation is prioritized financially but hampered by dwindling resources and access to personnel training

How The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the remote cyberattack on a Florida water treatment plant put cybersecurity top-of-mind

Tech pros are confident with their WFH/remote work policies but agencies are at a critical inflection point

DataOps, the bridge connecting IT operations and data sciences and accelerating the use of data analytics.

With automation IT teams can spot the moment a configuration drifts from security baselines and notify administrators in near-real-time

How database virtualization can help IT pros separate storage and application layers within the application stack more quickly

The infrastructures many government agencies use weren’t built to handle the amount of traffic they experienced during the pandemic

By sharpening skills and adopting new tools designed for the complexities of hybrid environments, agencies can transform operations

SolarWinds report shows 72% of tech professionals believe their organizations are ready to mitigate and manage enterprise IT risks.

“Tool sprawl”—too many edtech tools—can waste funds and cause districts to miss important learning opportunities

Because of the unprecedented levels of access and privilege users have, they become a prime target for attackers

Supply chain attacks occur when attackers penetrate a system through outside providers, a prominent issue facing agency security today

To ensure network operations run at peak performance, several actions will help IT teams support a remote workforce consistently.

One of the business consequences from the pandemic—increased remote working—is causing technology challenges across the public sector

The Power 100 is culled from CRN’s Women of the Channel & spotlights female executives with insight and influence

Cloud adoption enables a personalized, collaborative, and immersive learning experience for students

SolarWinds^® 2020 Cloud Confessions survey reports 78% of tech pros spend less than 10% of time proactively optimizing environments

As agencies adopt hybrid IT networks, IT leaders must deploy solutions that provide insight into network operations and applications

We often talk about the importance of taking a holistic approach to IT management, but the help desk tends to be overlooked

To ensure employees can work effectively from home while maintaining mission continuity, the focus must shift to the next choke points

Enhanced complexity in application performance demands an improved ability to collect and track metrics to ensure business as usual

Container technology is catching on with the government as agencies look to simplify software development and reduce costs