The Government Technology Insider Podcast

​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.

Government is not an exception to the growing adoption of AI across industries. The Government Accountability Office reported that federal agencies’ use cases for AI more than doubled in one year, from approximately 571 in 2023 to 1,110 in 2024, with generative AI use cases increasing by nearly nine times, from 32 to 282. This massive growth is opening the door for agentic AI, which goes beyond automation to scale efficiency across government IT and proactively address problems. In this episode of Government Technology Insider podcast, host Lucas Hunsicker dives deeply into how government IT teams are utilizing automation and AI to improve service delivery and streamline operations with Nate Riley, Field Sales Manager for Public Sector at BMC Helix. They discuss how agencies are using AI-powered self-service tools, knowledge management systems, and agentic digital assistants to reduce ticket volume, expedite resolutions, and free up IT staff to focus on higher-value work. The conversation also delves into hot-button strategies like the ‘bring your own large language model (LLM)’ model and how leaders can transform small-scale pilots into secure, mission-critical initiatives.

By enabling real-time anomaly detection, adaptive access control, and more secure digital environments, AI is reshaping how state, local, and education (SLED) organizations approach cybersecurity. However, as adoption grows, leaders are learning that implementing AI-powered cyber defenses isn't just about technology; it also involves user education, evaluating vendors wisely, and fostering a culture of trust and transparency. In part one, Government Technology Insider podcast, host Luas Hunsicker spoke with Aaron McAllister, Principal Solutions Architect for SASE at Cloudflare, and MT Robertson, Director of Cybersecurity at Presidio about the foundation of AI-powered Zero Trust solutions. They covered topics like the role of explainable AI, the significance of data ethics, and how automation can strengthen defenses in understaffed environments. In part two, their discussion shifts from theory to application. The guests look at the human aspect; how to explain the practical applications of AI to administrators, educators, and IT teams without overwhelming them with technical terms. Robertson emphasized the need for engaging and scalable user training, saying: “There’s an element of gamification that goes into it... leaderboards, that type of thing can be powerful in helping train on what to be looking out for, what not to do, and what to do.” They also explore key questions that SLED organizations should consider when evaluating AI and Zero Trust vendors, such as how well AI can integrate into existing systems and how transparent and accurate they are. For vendor partnerships to deliver true value, McAllister emphasized that they must go beyond industry buzzwords.

“Driving under the influence” often suggests alcohol is the source of impairment, but many substances can affect a person’s ability to drive safely and increase the risk of accidents. With use of drugs such as cannabis, opioids, prescription and over-the-counter depressants, and stimulants growing more prevalent among drivers, driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) has become a major concern not only for law enforcement, but for public health experts as well. While drug-impaired driving is less understood than alcohol-impaired driving, standardized toxicological testing of drivers has shown promise as a strategy to help inform stakeholders of dangerous driving behaviors. Incorporating forensic testing into DUID investigations can help to form a more accurate account of an impaired driving case. Testing results can be used as evidence in civil and criminal litigation, and the results may also impact potential substance use intervention and treatment. Over time, routine, standardized DUID testing can help raise awareness of the frequency and danger of drug-impaired driving for law enforcement, policy makers, and drivers. In this episode of the Government Technology Insider Podcast, we spoke to Donna Papsun, Forensic Toxicologist and NMS Labs, to learn more about how forensic testing may help reduce drug-impaired driving and increase public safety.

In this episode of Government Technology Insider podcast, host Luas Hunsicker spoke with William Li, Chairman and CEO of Knightscope; Jason Gonzalez, Senior Vice President of Client Development at Knightscope; and Tom Long, Associate Director of Federal Healthcare at Verizon. In the conversation they explore the growing impact of autonomous security robots and the role of connectivity in modern public safety. Despite limited funding and high cybersecurity demands, federal agencies are leveraging AI-driven machines to enhance situation awareness, address staffing shortages, and modernize legacy systems. As Li shared, “these are smart eyes, ears and voice on the ground for the officers and guards to be in multiple locations at the same time.’

In a recent podcast with Olivia Spain and Monika Mathur from the Global Innovation Consulting practice at TCS – Tata Consultancy Services, parent company of Tata America International Corporation, we asked them to explain why a culture of innovation is so important for government today. What we learned in that conversation is that a culture of innovation is essential for ​​driving efficiency in government. To build a culture of innovation government agencies need to address three pillars: technology, people, and process. If any one of the three remains unchanged, the culture of innovation ​will ​falter, and the agency can’t move forward with delivering on the mission in a way that meets constituent needs in ever-changing circumstances. We asked Spain and Mathur to join us for another conversation in which we develop a better understanding of the pathway from innovation to efficiency and how government agencies can turn theory into practice to deliver results for their constituents and stakeholders.

Federal government agencies are taking steps to prepare for the impact of quantum computing, especially in the area of cybersecurity. In August 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released the first three finalized post-quantum encryption standards, a major step toward protecting digital infrastructure from quantum threats. This initiative aligns with the National Security Memorandum 10 and is supported by agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which have developed roadmaps to direct the shift to quantum-resilient systems. Lamont Copeland, Senior Director of Federal Solutions Architecture at Verizon, and Jim Westdorp, Chief Technical Officer at Ciena Government Solutions Inc., spoke with the Government Technology Insider podcast host, Matt Langan, to unpack how quantum technology is evolving and its effects on cybersecurity for both military and civilian agencies. Additionally, they explored the urgency of implementing post-quantum cryptographic standards, strategies for quantum readiness, and the growing role of edge computing and IoT in securing data.