Feds at the Edge

Hosted by FedInsider

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

The federal government is changing the way it handles data. It is transitioning from an on premises data center approach to the cloud. Further, it is getting data from a wide ranging number of sensors. Feds at the Edge is a podcast that addresses those concerns

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60 recent

October 21, 20261 hr 1 min

Ep. 271 Modernizing your SOC

When it comes to cybersecurity, a Secure Operations Center (SOC) is the central nerve center for federal agencies. Because of its critical nature, updates must be handled with extreme care. Today, a panel of experts discussed how federal agencies can modernize SOCs to improve threat detection, response, and mission resilience. Thomas Schankweiler from CMS argues that we should start by focusing on adversaries and identifying detection gaps. From there, teams can prioritize improvements to address these specific issues. Part of this identification is understanding the tools' capabilities, especially where they overlap. Systems working independently can inadvertently cause vulnerabilities. Palo Alto's Rob Sherry highlights the need to put threats in context. One solution is a platform that correlates systems and helps analysts assess risk. NGA's Michael Ryan agrees with the other experts on the value of context in today's cloud, data, and user environments. He expands on that by applying it to a Zero Trust environment. One theme repeats throughout the discussion. AI should handle grunt work, allowing humans to focus on key tasks like analysis and strategy. There is no value in finding the wrong needle in the wrong haystack, even if AI can do it in three seconds.

October 14, 20261 hr 2 min

Ep. 270 Breaking the Silos: Building a Secure Foundation for Government AI

AI can help government agencies turn data into better services, but getting there takes more than simply making data available. In this week's episode of Feds at the Edge , we take a look at h ow agencies can uncover data buried in legacy systems, manage the cost of that discovery, and how to prevent AI from exposing sensitive data along the way. Rudolph Rojas of the USDA discusses the challenge of tracking down reporting applications created across an organization of more than 70,000 employees. Finding the data is one thing, but using AI to process it can introduce new risks, including potential data leaks. Tony Batalla of Oakland, California, takes a practical look at the next challenge: even when agencies can collect their data, can they afford to manage and use all of it? With limited resources, organizations need to focus on the information that can deliver the greatest value. And Alejandro Losa of Broadcom looks at how federal guidance, including OMB M-25-21 and the NIST Risk Management Framework, can help agencies establish accountability, assess impact, and maintain oversight as they adopt AI. Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform to hear how government organizations can make smarter use of their data while balancing cost, security, and responsible AI adoption.

October 7, 20261 hr 0 min

Ep. 269 Segmentation in the Age of AI: When Environments Move Faster than Humans.

AI is moving faster than the rules designed to secure it. How can government leaders keep pace without creating new vulnerabilities? In this week's episode of Feds at the Edge , we explore how public sector leaders are adapting data security, workload, and identity controls for the age of AI. Kris Pennete from the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency discusses why AI's speed makes deliberate security design more important and why controls should extend beyond the traditional network. Akamai's Brian Dennis explores how microsegmentation can limit the impact of a breach by restricting access to smaller, isolated areas and how AI-powered automation can help agencies deploy these protections more effectively. The conversation also examines why automation is a powerful tool, not a replacement for human oversight. Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform to learn how government leaders can navigate outdated security rules, leverage microsegmentation, and apply human-supervised automation to safely harness the power of AI.

September 30, 20261 hr 0 min

Ep. 268 AI at the Edge Turning Promise into Mission Advancement

Today, we sat down with a group of experts who have experience taking AI out of the data center and putting it into the field. This enables fast, resilient decision-making in disconnected, bandwidth-constrained, contested, and high-consequence environments. Charles Ritter from Idaho National Labs provides an excellent use case. He begins by outlining the growing popularity of local LLMs and the quality gains products from Nvidia can deliver. Ritter's use case is managing a nuclear facility. When humans must make laboratory decisions, it can take years; an autonomous laboratory system can drastically reduce that time. Remote military situations have high demands that AI can meet. During the interview Dan Folliard from Astra AI details how AI can address restrictions on size, weight, and power. All participants agree that trust in AI must be a primary consideration. Folliard details several methods to gain trust from stakeholders. Open architecture, modularity, model registries, experimentation, and small initial wins can accelerate adoption and build trust. Another way to encourage AI adoption at the edge is to use experimentation and small wins to build trust before scaling.

September 23, 20261 hr 0 min

Ep. 267 Can AI Deliver Better Processes, Less Spending for Cities and Counties?

Still tasked with doing more with less, agencies everywhere are focused on how to get more "bang for the buck," especially when it comes to AI. In this week's episode of Feds at the Edge , technology leaders share how they are staying ahead in the era of AI without breaking their limited budgets. Lorain County, Ohio's Todd Sharkey opens with some concepts that may not be obvious. Because most county staffs are, by definition, small, he suggests looking beyond your own organization for help and learning from others facing the same challenges. Khaled Twafik expands on the value of collaboration, particularly when it comes to sharing resources, setting standards and making the case for AI investments. Priorities also matter when deciding where to invest. Kate May from Granicus discusses how organizations can identify the processes and workflows where AI may have the greatest impact, and how understanding true constraints can help set realistic goals. Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform to hear practical perspectives on making AI more approachable, affordable and useful, even when budgets and resources are limited.

September 16, 20261 hr 2 min

Ep. 266 Post Quantum Cryptography in the Federal Government

Is your agency ready for the quantum revolution? Quantum computing promises incredible breakthroughs, but it also brings new challenges to federal cybersecurity. In this week's episode of Feds At The Edge, we explore how agencies can proactively prepare for the quantum future and protect sensitive data today. While a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) may still be on the horizon, adversary tactics like "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" (HNDL) make quantum readiness an immediate priority. U.S. GAO's Marisol Cruz Cain and Leidos' Joe Kovba, along with Rosa Underwood from GSA and Richu Channakeshava of Palo Alto Networks, break down the timeline, discussing how advances in quantum processing will challenge current RSA and Elliptic Curve asymmetric encryption standards. More importantly, our experts share actionable insights on migrating networks to post-quantum standards - such as FIPS 203, FIPS 204, and FIPS 205 - and strategies for balancing this vital operational shift with limited resources and competing cyber demands. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to hear how agencies can begin preparing today for the cybersecurity challenges and opportunities of the quantum era.

September 10, 202659 min

Ep. 265 Data Ready Architecture: Operationalizing AI, HPC Trusted Science at Scale

While we all know AI can boost productivity, agencies everywhere are trying to figure out how that will relate to the government workload. In this episode of Feds At The Edge, experts familiar with the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission unpack what it takes to move from AI experimentation to secure, scalable, mission-ready infrastructure across national laboratories and research environments. Dana Grisham of Sandia National Laboratories explores a fundamental architecture question: how do you balance centralized control with the flexibility of a federated model, especially when innovation is moving fast and compliance can't take a back seat? David Henderson takes the conversation deeper into data governance, examining how agencies can maintain control and visibility as information moves from databases to data lakes, warehouses, and beyond. A common data catalog, he argues, can help create the consistency and accountability these environments demand. Frank Reyes of Maximus looks at architecture as more than infrastructure. Done well, it becomes a set of guardrails, helping federal organizations optimize performance while operating within demanding security, governance, and mission constraints. The conversation also tackles some of the toughest realities of AI modernization: technical debt, data-sharing agreements, cross-organizational collaboration, and the security requirements that can determine whether innovation scales, or stalls. For agencies working to turn AI ambition into operational capability, this is where the real work begins. Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform today.

September 2, 20261 hr 2 min

Ep. 264 Software Assessment and Asset Management: Critical Tool for Agencies

Here is the final copy for this one and I will have the next over to you soon: Software management presents itself as an easy task: install software, then deinstall it at the end of its life. Unfortunately, the complexity of modern systems has made managing software in enterprise situations more of a nightmare than a walk in the park. In this week's episode of Feds At The Edge, government and industry thought leaders share practical approaches to managing software assets, from establishing authoritative data across multiple tools to identifying duplicate software purchased by different departments. Even when tools are duplicative, turning them off can be difficult when they're embedded in critical systems. The discussion also explores the challenges of acquiring software during an emergency, the risks of working with unreliable vendors and the importance of having the right processes in place to manage software throughout its lifecycle. They also underscore the risks posed by legacy systems and highlight why continuous, automated approaches are vital for managing software assets effectively. From knowing what software you have to knowing what you can safely retire, effective software management is essential to keeping modern enterprises secure, efficient and resilient. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to hear how experts are tackling these challenges.

August 26, 20261 hr 1 min

Ep. 263 Cyber Defense in the AI Era: Adaptive EDR for Compliance, Cost Control, and Threat Response

The concept of EDR is flawless, but complex federal environments present distinct operational hurdles. In this week's episode of Feds At The Edge, we dive into Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) in the federal government and explore how expert-suggested approaches can help agencies overcome today's barriers. While EDR provides continuous monitoring and automated containment across agency devices, federal civilian networks face unique challenges in practice. Broadcom's Paul Miller admits that EDR's core weakness is its reactive nature, discussing how AI can be applied to "move left" of an attack by leveraging historical data to predict threats before they strike. Meanwhile, Broadcom's Sam Romo breaks down the difficulty of defending against machine-speed attacks as AI increases the velocity of standard signature-based threats. Together, the panel examines how today's AI-assisted, adaptive EDR can serve as a vital protective layer for the fragile legacy systems embedded throughout agency cybersecurity stacks. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform for practical insights on how federal agencies can strengthen endpoint security and stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.

August 19, 20261 hr 3 min

Ep. 262 Mission Success Through Zero Trust: Securing the Fourth Estate's Mission Networks

According to Greg Touhill, the first CISO of the United States, complexity is the bane of IT security. Today, that lesson remains especially relevant. In this week's episode of Feds At The Edge, several thought leaders share how agencies can reduce complexity, integrate legacy systems, balance usability with security, and build a Zero Trust environment that continues to improve over time. Robert Skinner of Skinner's Strategic Solutions, explores the power of reducing system complexity and data flows to unlock clearer analytics. David Klink of Leidos explains the challenge agencies face when they try to "shoehorn legacy identity methods" into modern enterprise compliance. Continuous monitoring and tools that identify systems operating outside enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management requirements can help bridge that gap. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to hear practical, actionable ideas for managing out-of-compliance infrastructure, maintaining continuous evaluation, and driving modern security compliance without sacrificing user experience.