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 [...]

In our first article in this series, we looked at a serious challenge facing government agencies: falling success rates in producing records in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Between 2010 and 2022, these requests went from successfully yielding records about half the time to only about 10% of the time. One of [...]

Open government is a doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its ideal form, open government promotes transparency, accountability, and public participation. Transparency, in particular, is crucial as it reduces corruption, enhances public trust, and ensures that members [...]

In the complex and always-changing landscape of federal records management, the need for comprehensive training has never been more acute. Despite a common perception among managers that they are well-versed in the fundamentals of records management, a disconnect remains between confidence and competence. A revealing study from the Government Business Council highlights this gap. Fully [...]

As government bodies increasingly digitize their records under the direction of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), it’s imperative to make electronic records both accessible and user-friendly. Accessibility in the context of federal electronic records refers to the design and dissemination of information in a [...]