Derek Johnson

For records managers looking to get a handle on the growing number of requests and improve their workflow, the federal FOIA framework provides a solid foundation and valuable lessons in increasing efficiency of public records operations, writes Howard Langsam, CEO of OPEXUS. Click below to learn about four key takeaways from the federal FOIA program that state and local leaders can use to refine their own transparency efforts.  https://lnkd.in/eTue5n9F

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Check out our latest #blog post: "Foundations of GOVCON: One Simple Trick to Avoid GovCon Problems…" by Brandon Graves. "The majority of problems we see post-award involve a failure to follow one govcon rule: only the contracting officer can change a contract. Too many government contractors either don’t know this rule or forget it, leading to much unnecessary heartache..." 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eakDUxPC

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I'm keeping an open mind about the potential for AI to impact CBRN threats and generally encourage efforts to measure these issues in order to ground the conversation and minimize often-fantastical dooms-day scenarios. That said, evidence that AI is meaningfully changing current CBRN threat levels is lacking and probably overstated. Beyond this report, DHS must consider how to best prioritize its limited AI bandwidth. With a fixed budget, any excess money spent on mitigating or analyzing these hypotheticals nessesarily comes at the expense of other, evidence-backed priorities. Rather than over-invest in AI-CBRN issues, DHS should spend on the following: 1. Cybersecurity and other evidence-based challenges: while early days, there is indeed evidence that AI has changed the cyber game. In the past year spear phishing increase 1,200%, machine translation improved the quality of social engineering attacks, and state backed actors have used LLMs to generate operational malware. While not quite a crisis, this is a meaningful change that could portend a real challenge if capabilities continue to improve. Rather than chase CBRN 'what ifs,' resources should focus on this very real, evidence-backed challenge. 2. Preparing for the unknown: Its still early days, the tech is changing rapidly, and its uncertain what challenges will be the core AI issues of the coming years. Rather than overinvest resources on CBRN threats, DHS should invest in the agility and capacity needed to quickly identify and react to a range of unexpected, emergent challenges. The first step is state capcaity, DHS should focus on upskilling and hiring to build a work force that not only understands AI, but AI's intersection in a broad diversity of domains. Second is regulatory flexibility, DHS should actively analyze its rules to ensure it can act with minimal bureaucratic delay if we see a black swan AI development. Third is vigilance, DHS should foster the infrastructure, such as Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, needed to quickly identify unexpected changes in the threat environment. It is indeed worthwhile for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction office to analyze how AI could impact their work. Without evidence, however, this shouldn't become a preoccupation. As the DHS proceeds it should focus limited bandwidth on proven challenges and for all else, build the threat-agnostic capacity needed to act with agility.

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Very excited to join this conversation. Of all the imagined AI risks, Cybersecurity challenges are a garuntee and must be taken seriously. Looking forward to digging in!

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Excited to dig in next week! There have been a string of recent developments at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity. On a basic level: in the rush to integrate AI, as is to be expected, security in many ways has fallen by the wayside. This week a critical vulnerability was discovered in the Nvidia Container Toolkit, used widely across AI platforms, that could put (in one estimate) up to 35% of AI cloud environments at risk of remote access from bad actors. On a less basic level: las week HP reported AI generated malware is now being observed 'in the wild.' A concerning development that could bootstrap under resourced and low skill would-be hackers. Excited to discuss these developments and the many essential positive use cases of AI in cyber defense and industry!

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Don't miss this sizzling hot discussion with the #MiddleEast and #securit analyst Kyle Orton on The Washington Outsider #Report on Coalition Radio. Nearly two months after a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall, which took 144 lives, wounded scores of others, and was widely attributed to #ISISK, the story is all but forgotten thanks to the hectic nature of the news cycle. A few suspects were arrested, but the details of the consequent investigation were few and quite suspect. The surprising lack of a political response to #ISISK by #Russia in light of the alleged enmity between the terrorist organization and the state, too, seems to have faded away. Yet since then, #ISISK continued to grow its reach, with multiple arrests in various countries, and alleged expansion into neighboring states, that should raise a question - why such a massive attack was forgotten so quickly, especially by Russia itself. The Washington Outsider #Report on Coalition Radio takes a deep dive with the analyst Kyle Orton to investigate what's really going with this story - and why it remains relevant to this date and the impact of these events are likely to have a long-term global impact. We talk about: * the similarities and differences between the Moscow attack and the alleged #ISISK attack in #Iran only a couple of months prior, and what these developments say about the #security agencies in both countries. Is there a connection? * We discuss the pattern of#ISISK's growth in #Europe and #CentralAsia, and why the Moscow attack was such a wakeup call to the #media, despite a growth pattern over time. * We look at #Russia's actions in the #MiddleEast, particularly #Syria - did #Kremlin's interventions invite a disaster? * We examine the allegations of the #Israel-#Russia cooperation in #Syria over airstrikes aimed at #Iran targets, which supposedly precluded #Israel from taking an open stand in support of #Ukraine until recently - and why the #security interest explanation for Jerusalem's ties to #Russia are bogus. * We analyze the various inconsistencies in the official #Russia reports of the attack - is this the repetition of #Putin's record in masterminding domestic terrorist attacks to come to power? * Was the #ISISK concert hall attack really a "false flag" operation - or a strange hybrid of other typical Russian methods? * Can #Russia coopt #ISISK the same way it has coopted Chechen leadership? Will we see a change in foreign policy? And why wouldn't #Russia respond conclusively to #terrorism if it was indeed a legitimate attack? * Should the West end all pretense at #counterterrorism cooperation with #Russia? .... and so much more. Don't miss a very insightful conversation.

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An #opensource effort to standardize #SBOM data exchange is now governed by the OpenSSF, and there's more to come under a US Department of Homeland Security program. Features comments from Cole Kennedy 🔐 🔗, Marc Frankel, Katie Norton, Kevin E. Greene and Omkhar Arasaratnam. #OpenSourceSummit #OSS #SVIP #softwaresupplychainsecurity #SPDX #cyclonedx #protocolbuffer #protobom

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Newsguard Under FCC Chair Carr Microscope ~ Newsguard ‘arbiter of truth’ services at the intersection of technology, media, advertising and marketing to be examined central to censorship of SM users. Carr issued a letter to Meta, Apple, Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft; instructing production of documents relevant to sale or use of Newsguard services. Zuckerberg hits up Trump for meet up at Mar a Lago Wednesday night, navigating tenuous path forward considering prior choices. He is very late to game changing environment. His recent and last salvo was to implicate Biden Administration. Carr has posited Section 230 protection dependent on ‘good faith’ practices. Post X.com v GARM victory and advertising cartel GARM folding, major advertisers are returning to use X.com: IBM, Comcast, Disney, WarnerBros, Discovery and Lionsgate. GARM influence strangled Ad spend on X.com post Elon Musk purchase of platform from $170M in first three quarters of 2023 compared to $3.3M in same period in 2024. This impact threatened to fiscally undermine X.com business model. Elon Musk’s commitment to fostering 1st Amendment despite these formidable obstacles has single handed delivered life support to Westphalian Civilization. #worldnews #censorship #media #journalism #advertising #technology #ceo #founders #boardroom #skynewsaustralia #dailymail #asahishimbun #israel https://lnkd.in/gUz9EDB9

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Connecticut uses GovQA to handle state agency FOIA requests. It's an awful systems for a variety of reasons, but not in the least because it creates structural hurdles that make filling public records requests vastly more challenging. Check out the latest Transparency Update for more on how GovQA's limitations lead to me spending several hours filing out roughly 100 nearly identical FOIA requests: https://lnkd.in/dk7ft8QU #foia #publicrecords #transparency

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As we advance into 2024, groundbreaking solutions and technologies are reshaping how we approach government projects. From AI-driven analytics optimizing decision-making to cybersecurity advancements fortifying data protection, innovative technologies are revolutionizing the federal contracting landscape. These advancements not only enhance operational efficiency but also elevate the standard of service delivery to government agencies. Growth hacking in federal contracting begins with agile strategy execution. It's about identifying niche opportunities, swiftly adapting to evolving client needs, and leveraging data-driven insights to optimize project outcomes. By staying nimble, we position ourselves to seize emerging opportunities and deliver exceptional value. Technology is a catalyst for growth. Embracing advanced tools like AI for predictive analytics, robotic process automation (RPA) for streamlined operations, and cloud solutions for scalable infrastructure empowers us to enhance efficiency and productivity. These innovations not only accelerate project timelines but also elevate service quality and client satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/eqVwWNW2

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Apart from the White House announcement on #artificialintelligence (AI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed on Friday the launch of pilot programs and expanded efforts to utilize #AI in securing the nation’s critical infrastructure. The initiative comes nine months after U.S. President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order to prioritize America’s role in harnessing the potential of AI while addressing associated risks. The DHS disclosed conducting a new #AIPilot to identify and combat vulnerabilities across critical U.S. government software, systems, and networks. As directed in the executive order and on behalf of #DHS, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) developed, conducted, and completed an operational pilot using AI capabilities to support CISA’s cybersecurity mission in the detection and remediation of vulnerabilities in critical U.S. government software, systems, and networks. #CISA #ArtificialIntelligence #CriticalInfrastructure https://lnkd.in/gzzTXARW

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Federal Communications Commission calling?!? Most likely not unless you are a bad actor!! Defeating brand (businesses, government agencies, NGOs) impersonation is imperative to restore trust in communications. Learn more by reading comments to the Federal Trade Commission as they "Seek Comment for Trade Regulation Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses" and may be found here: https://lnkd.in/emN54gaF

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💫 Harkcon's Core Value Spotlight: Innovation At Harkcon, innovation isn't just a buzzword—it's a fundamental value that drives everything we do. From pioneering solutions in government contracting to streamlining communications for internal and external teams, we are constantly pushing the envelope to deliver results that exceed expectations. Our commitment to innovation is evident in the way we approach challenges, leveraging the latest technologies and methodologies to create efficiencies and enhance the quality of our work. Whether it's through the development of new strategies for one of our many #DHS clients, or refining project management processes, Harkcon is always at the forefront of progress. Innovation is about more than just new ideas; it's about the ability to adapt, evolve, and continuously improve. At Harkcon, we don't respond to change—we anticipate it, ensuring that we're always ready to meet the needs of our clients and partners in an ever-evolving landscape. Here's to pushing boundaries and setting new standards in our industry! Check out our feature article on OrangeSlices AI if you haven't already- #Innovation #Harkcon #Leadership #GovernmentContracting #SDVOSB

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Now available On Demand

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