In our first article in this series about open and transparent government initiatives, we asked why U.S. government agencies seem to be growing less open (meeting fewer records requests than previously). In our second article, we looked at solutions: how to retrieve and produce records on demand more easily and quickly. Today, we’re going to [...]

As federal agencies increasingly turn to cloud-based solutions to meet their growing technological and operational needs, selecting the right cloud service provider (CSP) for any given application is critical. To help with this complex, high-stakes process, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification program both offers a broad pool of potential vendors and [...]

The Power of AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into many sectors of government, and records management is no exception. For instance, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has tested AI to help with the classification and retrieval of digital records, aiming to improve efficiency by automating processes that are typically labor-intensive. [...]

Administering IT assets and technology investments is a critical yet resource-intensive process. Here, we’re talking about the administrative side of IT—planning, deploying, maintaining, and eventually decommissioning IT assets—rather than the day-to-day use of the technology. This administrative aspect is essential for ensuring that IT infrastructure remains secure, up to date, and capable of meeting regulatory [...]

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a critical benchmark for technology vendors providing services to U.S. government agencies. It provides a standardized approach to security for the cloud products and services used by federal agencies, involving rigorous assessments by third-party assessment organizations (3PAOs) to ensure that cloud service providers successfully meet stringent [...]

Government agencies around the world are leveraging AI technologies to enhance their operations, improve the efficiency of public services, and better manage data and records. We wrote last year about some of the ways government agencies are harnessing AI in records management, where we discussed auto-filling metadata with AI, AI-enabled Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [...]

In the world of cybersecurity, technology matters less than people. End-users are both the most vital element—and the weakest link—in the chain of cyber defenses. As ISACA, a professional membership organization for IS/IT pros, writes, “Security is not only for security teams, because attackers will look for and exploit the weakest link in the enterprise.” [...]

In 2024, the world of cybersecurity continues to be dominated by the persistent and evolving threat of ransomware. Once primarily a concern for small businesses and individuals, ransomware has become a sophisticated tool wielded by cybercriminals and is leading to increasingly worse outcomes for organizations. The growing reliance on digital infrastructure, combined with increasingly interconnected [...]

The new reports are in! Records management officials at all federal agencies have submitted their annual Senior Agency Official for Records Management (SAORM) reports to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It’s clear from the reports that many agencies were still struggling to meet the deadline. For example, the Department of Defense writes, [...]

The final deadline for federal agencies to begin submitting all temporary and permanent in electronic format has come and gone. The date set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—June 30, 2024—is now well in the rear-view mirror. So, does that mean the end of [...]