Walter Peterscheck

Constructive Criticism = Adding Value I came across a post where a vendor less than professionally criticized a companies solution for including a starlink dish as a means of transport and it "Not" meeting DoD SLA requirements. It got me thinking—newly emerging tech companies often face knowledge gaps like this, simply due to a lack of experience. Instead of talking down, industry experts should provide constructive feedback. Help them navigate the complexities, fill in the gaps, and share lessons learned. That’s how we truly add value—by lifting others up, not tearing them down. As an industry we need to do better for the good of those we support, help instead of hinder. #thoughtleadership #professionaldevelopment

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Vendor Provided Containers - Part 4 The "Vendor Dependency Conundrum". So you do FedRAMP or DOD/IL* work and you have a POAM (Plan of Action and Milestones). For the folks who don't do Public Sector work, this is basically a list of all of your compliance violations and vulnerabilities. What happens when you have a vulnerability in a vendor provided container? Specifically for something the vendor doesn't produce or patch? Often companies will make this a "Vendor Dependency". A "Vendor Dependency" is basically saying, "we'll wait until the upstream vendor patches it". But lets be real for a moment. The choice to use the "Vendor Provided Container" is yours and yours alone. Making it a vendor dependency is passing the responsibility for something that is most definitely the responsibility of the Cloud Service Provider (the authorized service). I described in my previous posts how vendor provided containers are woefully inadequate for production use (not hardened, not stripped, missing FIPS, etc). Long story short, the burden is still on the Cloud Service Provider (or consumer of those containers) to do all of the above. So while vendor provided containers are good to get started, they shouldn't be anywhere near a production environment. Going forward we need vendors to move past creating "development" containers, because that's really all they're good for. We need a standard for containers coming from vendors and if vendors are truly pursuing their CISA pledge of Secure by Design, they would harden them and strip them according to best practices. If they want to make it easy for DOD/FedRAMP customers, they would STIG harden them, and provide them with valid FIPS libraries. In summary, don't use vendor provided containers. You need to build your own or work with a vendor that builds and hardens container images as a service. Building your own images has a real cost to it too. It's also a discipline to do it fast and do it well. Teams are not usually equipped to take this on and often haphazardly do this work.

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"Google is our Knowledge Management solution". That is what a federal agency leader told me as part of an IT strategy workshop I was facilitating. 📖 It was a fairly profound statement but sadly this is the state of the vast majority of agencies. This is how things are: → Federal staff and contractors routinely need to look up information. → There is a ton of information sitting inside Confluence and Sharepoint. ⛔ Their Challenge: Nothing brings this "knowledge" together and the search capabilities/results are fairly subpar. This is what they (often) do: → There is a ton of publicly available information on agency websites. → These are memos, policies, standards, contracts, training, FAQs, etc. ✅ Their Hack: Use Google search as it is pretty decent in finding/serving info as long as it is publicly available. The Takeaway: Democratizing all of the agency data, information, and knowledge to their staff and contractors, in an easy, accurate, and responsible manner, MUST become the highest priority for agency leaders. This is how you can dramatically - 📌 Improve communications 📌 Expedite decision making 📌 Boost productivity So CAIOs, please make this a priority GenAI project for your agency. 🚀 #ai #genai #knowledge #productivity #govcon #llms #responsibleai

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NOW is the time to get a GovTech ServiceNow Job As an ITSM Product Manager within the Federal Government, I lead ServiceNow development teams and I participate in interviewing ServiceNow professionals. Federal Government contracting companies are always hiring ServiceNow Federal Government contractors. Most Federal Government customers are looking for professionals who understand: ITSM, Employee Center Pro, Security Operations, Governance Risk Compliance (GRC), Configuration Management Database (CMDB), and Asset Management, etc. Pick 1 to 2 topics as your focus area(s). Most Federal Government contracting teams consist of the following roles: Project Manager, Business Analyst, Developer, Quality Assurance (QA) Tester, and Architect. Most people have great success when they identify what ServiceNow role they would like to pursue. If you want to be a ServiceNow developer you need a ServiceNow developer resume. If you want to be a ServiceNow Project Manager you need a project management-oriented resume. 1. Develop a solid ServiceNow resume and application portfolio. 2. Optimize your LinkedIn profile according to your ServiceNow resume and the ServiceNow role you would like to obtain. 3. Research the top Federal Government Contacting companies, search, and apply to ServiceNow roles on their website. See list: https://lnkd.in/gamPA5SY 4. Utilize the ServiceNow Partner website to find companies that offer ServiceNow solutions. Partner List: https://lnkd.in/eh7rAE6r 5. Connect with the top 10 ServiceNow recruiters and staffing agencies. See list: https://lnkd.in/eHuhJCAi 6. Work on your job interview skills, please be ready to explain your ServiceNow knowledge and the applications you have created. Please leverage your certifications, projects, and training on your resume. Most companies want to know what you have learned, built, and how you can add value to their organization. You don't have to know everything, but you have to know something to stand out on your resume and in job interviews. I am offering career coaching if you want to land a ServiceNow role: https://lnkd.in/gq4xNp7a

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SKILLS-BASED HIRING is increasingly being adopted. Since 2109, iQ4 has invested significantly to be a market leader in Learning and Employment Record system - including a Digital Wallet that translates resumés, academic and military transcripts, and certifications into skills (professional, IT, operational/leadership) so Wallet holders can explore career pathways and get matched to vacancies. Read more in the attached article.

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🚀 Exciting news from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)! 📢 DISA's Chief Data Officer, Caroline Kuharske, announced at the AFCEA International's TechNet Cyber conference that DISA is preparing to unveil an updated data strategy that will cover fiscal years 2025 through 2027. This new strategy will build upon the existing data strategy and focus on integrating data governance and policies into the backend systems. The previous data strategy, implemented from 2022 to 2024, aimed to improve data architecture and enable transparency and data sharing. DISA is now in the final stages of implementing this plan and transitioning to an integrated data architecture. But they're not stopping there! The upcoming strategy will also include initiatives to integrate emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), into data operations. DISA will collaborate with its emerging tech directorate and leverage AI for data reporting and automation. This aligns perfectly with the Department of Defense's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office's 2023 Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy. But DISA isn't working alone. They will gather insights from the DoD CDAO and partner with U.S. Cyber Command and JFHQ-DoDIN to deliver critical and actionable data to the warfighter. It's all about leveraging the power of data and AI to support our defense forces and ensure their success. This is an exciting step forward in the world of data strategy and technology integration. DISA's commitment to innovation and collaboration is commendable, and it's great to see them embracing the potential of AI and emerging technologies. Let's stay tuned for the official unveiling of DISA's updated data strategy in the coming months. I'm sure it will pave the way for even greater advancements in data governance and operations. What are your thoughts on this news? How do you think AI and emerging technologies will impact data operations in the defense sector? Share your insights in the comments below! 👇 #DISA #datastrategy #AI #emergingtechnologies #defenseindustry #innovation

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Are you trying to get from 0 to 1 in your AI governance journey? What if you’re already doing good work but need to accelerate your maturity? Are your Safety- and Rights-Impacting use cases being handled appropriately? Is your AI inventory stuck in Excel and, well, a little chaotic? We’ve solved that. I’m extremely proud to announce the AI Governance Jumpstart by Credo AI and Booz Allen Hamilton. This offering tackles the challenges above with a simple, straightforward set of tools and practices. We’ve designed it to eliminate your “Governance Debt” and turbocharge your AI governance work to meet key OMB requirements. One thing we’ve learned over the years is that requirements that seem simple on the surface are never straightforward to implement in your organization. Read more about how we approached this problem in the article that Dave Prakash MD and I wrote about this offering and reach out if you’re interested in learning more. A big thank you to the visionaries behind this work: Sarah Curtis, the Product Manager, and Stuart Friedman, Sandra Luksic, and Jack Williamson from my team who stressed over every detail these past six months. And Ehrik Aldana and the entire Credo team for bringing their secret sauce and world-class tooling. This is our first joint offering together and we’re excited to bring it to market. https://lnkd.in/exBShWv5

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GenAI can be a bottom-up technology, “creating a 1000 sparks of inspiration” for transforming our work… With the right guardrails of course

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Where are you on your #AI journey? Join experts from SAIC and The George Washington University - School of Engineering & Applied Science to learn more about development and deployment of AI for your employees and customers.

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Is your SPRS score so low that zero would be an improvement? You’re not alone. Most defense contractors are struggling with low Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) scores. The current average? A dismal -12. But don’t panic — there’s hope. Your SPRS score reflects your compliance with NIST SP 800-171 and is crucial for CMMC certification. The good news: accuracy matters more than perfection. A realistic score, paired with a solid POA&M, keeps you compliant and avoids penalties. CMMC requirements begin in 2025. Start improving your score now. Read more or reach out for a free CMMC consultation — link in the comments. #CMMC #SPRS #NIST #VirginiaBusiness #VAbusiness

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Where to Find Defense Training Contracts & Companies in Need of Program Managers I need your help locating government contractors who work in defense learning programs, or military training development. I used to have access to paid tools that would show who was on what contract, who had recent wins, descriptions of the companies, etc. I need to do a deep dive into companies who might need a Program Manger to run recent wins or fill open spots. My network has dried up.   I need new resources for finding defense training contracts & opportunities. Where do you go to find who is on which contract, a list of companies who do training development, who had recent wins? Can you help me rebuild my network by recommending others on LinkedIn who I might connect with?

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This would show great progress and open more doors! Forward thinking organizations are exploring the significant funding available for Cyber registered apprenticeships! Our Apprenticeships are tied to employment outcomes. #skillstorm Suzette Kent #skillsbasedhiring #cyber #cybersecurity #apprenticeships #cybersecurityapprenticeships #funding #skillsgap #Veterans #underrespresented #instructorledtraining #RTI #federal #employmentoutcomes #DOL #awscloud #awsdevops #javamicroservices #fullstackdevelopment #cybersocanalyst #penetrationtesting

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This is technically the right approach but converging software factories on to a single DevSecOps platform for programs that are in mature development and fielding is going to be a lot of retrofitting that is not trivial. An open standards and open architecture approach for interoperability is probably the best bet, but standardize on a common platform all new programs moving forward. Great to see CYBERCOM starting to take their acquisition authorities to the next phase. Our adversaries are not constrained by their acquisition bureaucracies.

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The Defense Air Force Strategic Transformation Support II (DAFSTS II) is a follow-on to the previous Air Force Strategic Transformation Support (AFSTS) contract. It represents a substantial opportunity for firms specializing in Administrative, Logistics, and Management Consulting Services. This $3-5 Billion multiple award IDIQ will have 8 awardees. It will use a full and open/unrestricted competition type. The Full RFP is expected to be released in October 2024. Webinar Dates and Time: Tuesday, September 17th, 2:00 PM EST Wednesday, September 18th, 1:00 PM EST (Repeat) Register here: https://lnkd.in/gBruMfkV Why You Should Attend This is a substantial opportunity for firms active in the Administrative, Logistics, and Management Consulting realm. The final RFP is anticipated to be released in October, so now is the time to prepare!    What You Will Learn in this Webinar : An Intro to the Current AFSTS Opportunity: A short review of the current ongoing AFSTS contract and its general details. What is New in DAFSTS II: A discussion of what is new in the upcoming DAFSTS II compared with the ongoing one. DAFSTS II Proposal Requirements: A thorough discussion of what the proposal requirements are, section by section. The Source Selection System Explained: A detailed discussion of how the selection system works and how to prepare for it. Win Strategy: Insights and recommendations for each section of the proposal to bolster your p-win. Q&A: At the end of the webinar, we will answer any questions you might have. Register now to secure your spot in the webinar and take the first step towards winning this lucrative contract.

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