Federal Agencies Embrace Networking as a Service to Modernize Their Networks

by  Adam Stone

CISA and VA show how cloud services can simplify modernization, strengthen security and provide flexibility to scale.

Summary

At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), CIO Robert Costello is adopting Network as a Service (NaaS) to enhance efficiency. “Instead of rolling out our own software to manage networks, we consume secure, capable cloud provider networks delivered as a service,” he says, noting commercial providers often deliver faster, cheaper, and more effectively.

NaaS enables greater agility by offloading infrastructure management, as seen in CISA’s Wi-Fi rollout and full cloud migration from legacy data centers. CISA sponsors Cisco Meraki’s FedRAMP Moderate authorization, freeing staff from routine tasks like security upgrades.

NaaS benefits include scalable demand handling, faster cybersecurity updates from providers’ broad threat visibility, and economies of scale in security operations. It allows network engineers to focus on high-value tasks like real-time troubleshooting, while AI features enable anomaly detection and predictive maintenance.

 Read full story at FedTech…

Legislative Trends Shaping Cybersecurity for State Governments

by  Elizabeth Guillot & Rovert Sheldon

CrowdStrike delivers a 2026 policy outlook in which external forces shape state security operations more than ever.

Summary

As technology outpaces current legislation, 2026 is becoming a pivotal year for global regulatory updates. Governments are moving away from broad frameworks toward sector-specific rules for critical infrastructure like healthcare and finance. While this allows for targeted security, CrowdStrike warns that a lack of harmonization could create burdensome overlaps. Central to this shift is the explosion of AI policy; following 2025's surge of state bills and the federal impact of Executive Order 14365, regulators are now focused on balancing innovation with risk.

Effective governance now requires modernizing legacy standards to address cloud-native environments and software supply chains. CrowdStrike emphasizes that future resilience depends on integrating advanced tools—such as identity threat detection and AI-enabled security—into these evolving national and international policy standards.

 Read full story at StateTech…

Local Governments Hired Hundreds of Former Federal Workers Last Year

by  Ryan Kushner

Following DOGE efforts that led to a mass exodus of federal employees in 2025, Civic Match says it has connected nearly 200 of them with local government jobs.

Summary

Civic Match, a program connecting former federal employees with local government jobs, has placed 187 displaced workers since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began layoffs in 2025.

The majority of hires, 63%, have eight or more years of public sector experience, with many relocating for these opportunities. Civic Match plans to incorporate AI into its platform to improve efficiency.

 Read full story at SmarCitiesDive…

AI Has Taken Over Customer Service — but Companies Could Soon Regret the Shift

by  Mikael Markander

Many customers prefer to talk to real people, according to Gartner Research

Summary

As organizations prioritize efficiency, many have significantly reduced support staff in favor of automated AI solutions. However, Gartner Research indicates a shift in 2026, predicting that demand for human interaction is actually set to rise. Emily Potosky of Gartner notes that AI is currently “not mature enough” to fully replicate the empathy, judgment, and expertise that human agents provide. Relying exclusively on automation at this stage is considered premature and risks negative customer outcomes.

Consequently, Gartner expects half of the companies that invested heavily in AI will begin rehiring human staff within the next year. While these roles may return under updated job titles, the core objective remains the same—addressing the clear customer preference for human connection over machine-led assistance.

 Read full story at ComputertWorld…

Microsoft Releases Urgent Office Patch. Russian-State Hackers Pounce.The window to patch vulnerabilities is shrinking rapidly.

by  Dan Goodin

Summary

Russian-state hackers, APT28, exploited a critical Microsoft Office vulnerability (CVE-2026-21509) within 48 hours of the patch release.

The campaign targeted diplomatic, maritime, and transport organizations in multiple countries, using novel, encrypted exploits and payloads to install backdoor implants, BeardShell and NotDoor. The attack leveraged trusted channels and fileless techniques to remain undetected.

 Read full story at arsTechnica…

Police Search X's Premises in France as Prosecutors Summon Elon Musk

by  Catherine Porter and Ségolène Le Stradic

The move followed a yearlong investigation into X and escalated a wider standoff between European officials and American tech companies over the regulation of social media.

Summary

French authorities escalated a yearlong investigation into X on Tuesday, searching the company‘s Paris offices and summoning owner Elon Musk. The Paris prosecutor‘s office is probing seven serious allegations, including complicity in distributing child pornography, data fraud, and the dissemination of content denying crimes against humanity. Investigators claim X abandoned tools designed to restrict illegal imagery and that its AI chatbot, Grok, has generated sexual deepfakes and Holocaust denial claims.

This raid intensifies a geopolitical rift between American tech giants and European regulators over free speech and platform accountability—a tension further strained by the Trump administration‘s aggressive stance against EU regulations. While X denies wrongdoing, calling the probe a “politicized” attack on free expression, prosecutors maintain the platform is deliberately refusing to cooperate with criminal investigations.

 Read full story at New York Times…

2026 US Power Sector Outlook

by  Meris Lutz

Utility Dive's road map to the year ahead for FERC, affordability, renewable energy, distributed energy resources and more.

Summary

The U.S. electric utility sector is entering a transformative 2026, grappling with unprecedented load growth that strains both physical infrastructure and traditional market structures. This surge in demand has sparked intense jurisdictional friction between federal and state authorities as they navigate rising consumer costs. Concurrently, the Trump administration is pushing for “energy dominance,” attempting to exert more direct control over the nation‘s power systems.

Our outlook series explores this defining year, tracking pivotal trends from shifting FERC regulations to the impact of federal policies on renewables. As technological advances promise new grid efficiencies, these developments are collectively rewriting the rules of energy production and delivery. The coming months will determine how the grid adapts to these complex political and physical pressures.

 Read full story at UtilityDive…

New Gas-Fired Plants Bring Needed Generation, Flexibility to the Power Sector

by  Darrell Proctor

Several natural gas–fueled units are being developed as a way to support the industrial sector, including data centers, and to help integrate more renewable energy to the grid.

Summary

New natural gas-fired power plants are being developed to support the industrial sector, integrate renewable energy, and provide baseload power.

These plants offer operational flexibility and lower emissions, making them a reliable and scalable solution for grid reliability.

Despite supply chain challenges, the near-term outlook for natural gas remains strong due to its affordability and ability to quickly ramp up or down.

 Read full story at P:owerMag…

Utilities Rethink Capital Delivery as Workloads Surge

by  Kevin Clark

At DTECH 2026, Georgia Power, Xcel Energy and SDG&E detail hiring pipelines, centralized controls and targeted analytics to keep projects moving.

Summary

Utilities are facing unprecedented capital investment demands and are rethinking how they plan, staff, and execute projects. Georgia Power, Xcel Energy, and SDG&E are adjusting talent models, governance structures, and analytics to keep pace with accelerated growth and evolving demands. This includes targeted recruitment, centralized governance, and leveraging AI and advanced analytics to improve efficiency and affordability.

 Read full story at FactorThis…