Advertise on podcast: The Government Technology Insider Podcast

In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host Matt Langan discussed the limitations of traditional redundancy models and how wireless is becoming a critical layer of network resilience for the Department of War with Verizon experts Dave Stepp, Associate Director of Federal Sales Engineering, and Chris Ru​s​sell, Distinguished Architect. They discussed how the PACE framework fits into modern network architecture with 5G, private wireless, and low earth orbit satellites as alternate and contingency options. Additionally, they also dove into the hidden single points of failure that often undermine redundant networks, including shared power infrastructure and wholesale middle-mile providers.

​Federal agencies are facing a growing FOIA challenge: request volumes have surged dramatically over the past decade, while the requests themselves have become increasingly complex, often involving large volumes of electronic records, multiple custodians, and sensitive data sources. At the same time, many agencies are trying to meet statutory response deadlines with reduced staffing, and processes that still rely heavily on manual review and disconnected legacy systems. As agencies attempt to fulfill these requests and comply with the 20-day turnaround time required by law, the legacy technology and systems that form the backbone of eDiscovery in the federal government are showing their age. These challenges increase security and litigation risks, contribute to a growing backlog of requests, and undermine public trust in an open and transparent government. ​ ​Addressing these challenges and modernizing FOIA processes and eDiscovery systems relies on a foundation of next-generation technology, powered by artificial intelligence. In this episode of the Government Technology Insider Podcast, Victoria Cash, Product Director, Open Government Solutions, and Kelly Swank, Vice President of Business Development, from Casepoint joined host, Lucas Hunsicker, to explore developments in eDiscovery technology and imagine a more sustainable, integrated, and secure FOIA platform that will support federal agencies for years to come. ​

​Federal network edge infrastructure is expanding, creating a more efficient and effective government but also inviting opportunities for novel and varied cyber threats. Artificial intelligence, cloud, remote access, and other technologies face constant targeting that threatens critical infrastructure and essential services. Today’s episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast features Shawn Smagh, Principal Intelligence Liaison at GreyNoise, sharing his expertise in the early warning signals of upcoming cyberattacks, practical steps to identify and mitigate threats, and how collaboration is key to a stronger cybersecurity posture. ​ ​The threat landscape facing government agencies is defined by compressing timelines. Average times to exploit—the time it takes a malicious actor to exploit a vulnerability—have collapsed, shrinking from over two years to a mere two days at most. Defending federal data in this environment requires both a strong defensive posture, bolstered by frameworks such as Zero Trust, and the agility to adapt to new technologies and tactics faster than adversaries. Smagh shared that internet telemetry data can provide early warning signals that agencies can use to quickly identify and mitigate threats.

In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host Lucas Hunsicker discussed the practical implications of the CMMC 2.0 pause with Doug Barbin, President and National Managing Principal at Schellman. Barbin explained why the announcement, despite its abruptness, wasn’t entirely unexpected, why identifying and tracking CUI as it moves from primes down through layers of subcontractors continues to be the biggest ongoing challenge, and why the majority of Schellman clients are still moving forward with the certification. He also looked ahead to the DoW’s 60-day review, the significance of responding to the Request for Information (RFI), and where he sees emerging solutions helping smaller contractors shrink their compliance footprint.

In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host, Matt Lagan, discussed the National Guard’s connectivity challenges and the strategies needed to maintain personnel connections across diverse operating environments with Luis Delgado, Senior Client Partner at Verizon, and Dale Butterworth, ​former ​Senior Solutions Partner at Verizon. They discussed the value of layered communications, interoperability with federal, state, and local agencies, and how technologies like satellite communications, 5G, fixed wireless, and AI are strengthening mission resilience.

To support operations worldwide, the U.S. Air Force relies on a secure and resilient network infrastructure, but delivering Air Force-grade connectivity is rarely a quick process. According to the Government Accountability Office, major federal acquisitions can take years to go from requirement development to implementation, which creates challenges for organizations trying to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies and mission demands. In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host Matt Langan spoke with Verizon experts Luis Delgado, Senior Client Partner, and Cung Nguyen, Senior Sales Engineer, about the procurement challenges that can delay critical network modernization efforts across the Air Force. Additionally, they discussed how agencies can better align acquisition timelines with operational requirements, when more flexible approaches like Other Transaction Authority (OTA) may be appropriate, and where traditional contracting vehicles like Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) can support mission needs.

For many years, strengthening the network perimeter through more robust defenses, faster patching, and improved threat detection has been the gold standard. However, today’s threat landscape has fundamentally changed and as a result defenses must change too. Federal agencies are now recognizing that identity has become the new Tier-0 as attackers increasingly use compromised credentials and identity systems to bypass traditional security measures. Building cyber resilience is no longer just about preventing intrusions. It requires protecting and rapidly recovering the identity infrastructure that supports every mission. Jimmy McNary, Deputy Federal CTO at Semperis, joins the Government Technology Insider podcast to discuss why identity has become the new Tier-0 and what agencies need to do to build resilience against identity-based attacks. McNary and host, Lucas Hunsicker, explore how identity infrastructure and Active Directory are being targeted by today’s threat actors, why recovery planning is just as crucial as prevention, and how AI is reshaping cyber defense and identity-focused attacks.

​​Military recruiting has become a lot more mobile in recent years, evolving to meet a generation that expects information and opportunities to come to them. Today’s recruiters are spending less time behind a desk and more time connecting with prospective service members at high schools, college career fairs, and community events. While recruiting offices still play an important role, they are now just one part of a much broader mobile military recruitment strategy. ​ ​In the latest Government Technology Insider podcast, host Matt Langan spoke with Dale Butterworth, Senior Solutions Partner at Verizon, about why connectivity has quietly become one of the most valuable tools recruiters carry into the field. Beyond simple internet access, recruiters need secure, reliable access to application information, the ability to validate application information on the spot, deliver immersive demonstrations using emerging technologies, and maintain the same level of capability in the field as they’d expect inside a secure facility.

With accelerating technology refresh cycles, evolving policy expectations, and the pressure to reduce waste and fraud while delivering mission outcomes faster, are transforming government acquisition from a transactional procurement function to a strategic capability. AI-driven acquisition offers agencies a way to address these pressures. Agencies are beginning to integrate AI directly into acquisition systems to streamline the requirements development process, automate research, and reduce administrative burden. These tools can help accelerate timelines and improve efficiency. However, agencies must also support common-sense workforce adoption to keep humans in the loop and avoid the risks of “cognitive surrender,” where users put too much trust into AI-generated outputs. Ben Allen, Vice President of Public Sector Solutions at Appian, joins our host, Lucas Hunsicker, in this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast to talk about how acquisition modernization is evolving. They explore how the future of AI-enabled acquisition relies on embedding intelligent capabilities into procurement workflows in a way that keeps humans actively involved rather than replacing them.

​The continual rapid evolution of the cyber threat landscape is making building a cyber workforce more important—and more difficult—than ever. As new cyber threats emerge more quickly and frequently, the “readiness revolution” is pushing cybersecurity readiness toward more active education and the ability to demonstrate skills before a crisis. In today’s episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, Dan Magnotta, Senior Federal Business Development Manager at Hack The Box, explains how the readiness revolution is changing public sector cyber preparedness and what organizations can do to build a cyber-ready workforce. ​ ​Artificial intelligence (AI), bring your own device policies, and new applications and devices are all expanding the government’s already massive attack surface. The Department of War’s (DoW) cyber workforce needs the skills to defend critical cyber terrain, but they also need the flexibility to shift priorities as threats, targets, and missions evolve.

​​In a year defined by acceleration and transformation, 2025 will be remembered across the federal government as the start of artificial intelligence moving from pilot projects to production reality. Agencies are no longer debating whether to use AI; the conversation has shifted decisively to how to deploy it safely, effectively, responsibly, and at scale. On the most recent episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host, Lucas Hunsicker, spoke with Steve Boone, Director of Product Marketing at Checkmarx, about what this reframing has meant for government IT teams and what it signals as we move through 2026 and beyond.

​As federal agencies continue to invest in, and deploy, AI solutions, the physical infrastructure needed to support mission-enabling use cases is top of mind for agency leaders. But the way these solutions will be acquired, implemented, and used significantly impacts the design of AI systems. Trust, security, and procurement all play a role in the value agencies get from AI and therefore must be considered from the onset. ​In part one of our podcast series, Michael Montgomery, President of Chenega Architecture and Design Solutions, explained how federal agencies can power and cool the systems enabling AI use cases and capabilities. In today’s episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, we take a deeper dive into the operational challenges agencies need to keep in mind as they invest in AI.

​The increasing presence of AI in federal buildings is reshaping how the federal government works. From predictive AI that solves previously intractable challenges, enables digital twinning, and supports decision-advantage and operational superiority on the battlefield to generative AI that enables vital service delivery improvements, AI is the focus of federal agency investments. ​While there is little doubt about the value that AI can deliver to federal agencies, there are some very practical obstacles standing in the way. Before they can reap the benefits, agencies must confront the challenges of powering the vast AI infrastructures they are building and cooling the racks of servers that form the backbone of an AI-powered federal government. ​In this two-part series on the Government Technology Insider Podcast, we invited Michael Montgomery, President of Chenega Architecture and Design Solutions, to discuss how federal facilities managers and their teams are addressing these mission-critical challenges, as well as the ubiquitous power and cooling issues that agencies will encounter as they move into the AI age.

​At the end of last year, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) released new Android 16 and iOS 26 Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) designed to provide military organizations with the guidance they need to better secure their mobile endpoints against modern adversaries. ​ ​One of the most significant new requirements in the latest Android and Apple STIGS is for all managed mobile devices to have a mobile threat defense (MTD) solution deployed to remain compliant – a major undertaking for an organization with hundreds of thousands of mobile endpoints. ​ ​In this episode of the Government Technology Insider Podcast, host, Matt Langan, is joined by Farhan Saifudin of Ivanti, and Alex Froede of DISA to define STIGs, explain their importance for mobile device security, and discuss the new STIG changes and how they’ll impact military organizations. ​ ​Farhan Saifudin, is Ivanti's sales engineer manager for the public sector. Alex Froede, a senior mobile cybersecurity architect and principal author of DISA’s mobile technology STIGs at the DISA Cyber Standards and Analysis Branch, also known as the DISA STIG Office. ​ ​During their detailed discussion on the changes to Apple and Android device STIGS, they explore the current threat landscape for mobile devices in the U.S. DoD explain why MTD solutions are necessary in today's threat environment, provide considerations for DoD decision-makers looking to choose an MTD solution, and the importance of marrying an MTD solution to a mobile device management (MDM) solution.

​In today’s highly volatile geopolitical environment, being able to communicate and operate securely is a vital strategic advantage for the warfighter and command. With multivariant threats targeted at United States assets at the core and the edge, on land, in space, and at sea, investment in robust and resilient secure facilities has never been more important. The challenges of balancing effective communication with secure operations will surely be top of mind at the Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium 2026, taking place this week in Colorado. ​In this episode of the Government Technology Insider Podcast, we invited Michael Montgomery, who leads Chenega Architecture and Design Solutions and is President of Chenega Worldwide Support, and Jeff Kronewitter, Director of Strategic Solutions at Chenega MIOS, to discuss best practices in building a secure operations and communications environments in an era of disruption.