AI and Data Policy – Model Process for ATARC White Paper Development and Published White Papers:

ATARC’s AI and Data Policy Working Group is a recognized provider of valuable events and work products that are routinely referenced across federal agencies by those groups working in the AI and data policy arena. Moreover, the information and insights provided by these events and artifacts have had influence during the writing and editing of substantial policy documents and pieces of legislation, as reported by its federal members and colleagues. The Working Group ensures the quality, timeliness, and applicability of its offerings by leveraging its own intensive process which takes government needs and emerging technologies, explores and refines intersectional topics through expert panels and event-based discourse, develops draft white papers, policy briefs, and technical how-to’s, based on a mix of group expertise and insights from said panels and discourse. All work products go through intensive edits by the group co-chairs, AI and Data Policy and technical writing SMEs themselves, ensuring that events and work products are well fit to the needs of government, and that the resulting whitepapers contain the absolute best content and advice available. 2024 White Papers include an AI Personhood White Paper, which anticipated the current dialog around AI copyrights and patent rights, as well as a White Paper on the promises and perils of Generative AI. Further evidence of the group’s status as a trusted and looked-to authority on AI and Data policy include ATARC’s and other groups’ frequent use of group leadership and membership as speakers for events as well as engagement with other Working Groups as the topic of AI continues to evolve (e.g., recent and ongoing collaborations with the Generative AI Working Group).

Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development – Strategic Initiatives Report:

Cybersecurity is critical in a digital world, yet an estimated 4 million cyber jobs remain unfilled globally (World Economic Forum). The ATARC Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development Working group seized this challenge, and through an 18-month public-private-academic collaborative partnership, carefully crafted a comprehensive white paper and national strategy recommendations report to the U.S. Congress and National Association of Chief Information Security Officers (NASCIO) in August 2024. This 108-page innovative and detailed report identified key issues in cybersecurity education, workforce development, and campus preparedness; and then designed a replicable national framework solution to include a cybersecurity career pipeline with traditional “academic” and non-traditional “skill/competency” pathways to better serve a wider range of prospective cybersecurity professionals from all walks of life. In addition, our report recommended a preparedness framework to enhance campus educational infrastructure and improve K-12 and Higher Education institutional resiliency. The impact of a national cybersecurity career education pipeline and pathway framework and enhanced campus cyber preparedness is immeasurable to a pressing global problem and invaluable to the U.S. in a modern digital world fraught with conflict.

Future of Secure Work – Inspiring Workplace Capabilities White Paper Series:  

The Future of Secure Work (FSW) Working Group (WG) faced the challenge of expanding US Government secure mobile communications use and overcoming perceptions of risk in an environment where increasing worldwide adversaries challenge us in the information and technology sphere. Through collaboration between government and industry members, the FSW WG tackled this challenge by thorough analysis of the government policies and needs, real and perceived risks and critical examination of secure commercial mobility solutions.

As a result, the working group exceeded its deliverables with simplified, step-by-step guides on leveraging government policies, identifying security-certified COTS mobile solutions, and implementing secure mobility through change management, employee education, and continual improvement.

The FSW WG recommendations inspired government leaders with realistic paths to expand mobile communications with improved security, efficiency, and mission accomplishment, contributing to trials and field operations of secure mobility solutions at the National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of State, and US Army Special Operations Command.

Given the reliance on mobile devices throughout government, the FSW WG helps the US maintain strategic dominance by broadening the use of the most modern and secure information technology, increasing security posture, as well as recruiting and retaining skilled Information Age workforces, and ultimately prevailing over adversaries.

Global Quantum – Quantum Speaker Series:

The ATARC Global Quantum Working Group has been a driving force behind advancing quantum technology initiatives and educating the public sector in 2024. The group has been pivotal in shaping and refining the US quantum strategy by cultivating a robust collaborative ecosystem among government agencies, industry leaders, and academia, and bringing in global quantum leaders to share learnings. Throughout 2024 group hosted a very successful Quantum Summit and will publish three in-depth chapters of their Quantum white paper demystifying quantum technology. The Global Quantum Working Group also continues its successful Quantum Speaker Series, a webinar series where global leaders across industry, government and academia share their work across all quantum technologies (compute, communications, sensing and post quantum cryptography). These documents and events provide critical information for policy development and the allocation of quantum research funding aimed at accelerating the U.S. government’s quantum research and equipping the nation to address pressing challenges in national security, cybersecurity, and technology innovation. The ATARC Global Quantum Working Group is positioning the U.S. as a global leader in the rapidly evolving quantum landscape through its forward-thinking initiatives.

Government Workforce Experience – Government Leaders in AI Panel- A Pathway to the AI Talent Playbook:

In 2024, the ATARC Government Workforce Experience Working Group was established and made significant progress towards development of a playbook that federal agencies can use to improve their acquisition and deployment of human capital talent for Artificial Intelligence projects. This working group held regular bi-weekly meetings that included panels and guest speaker appearances from OPM, Air Force, DHS, and other agencies. Over a period of several months, the group increased in size and worked collaboratively to build an outline of a playbook based on a continuous process improvement lifecycle model that starts with assessing an agency’s use cases and readiness to use AI, continues through a build vs. buy assessment to determine whether the agency should hire new talent or reskill/upskill existing talent, and includes best practices for recruiting and hiring talent as appropriate. The working group intends to complete a draft of the playbook by the end of 2024, and officials at OPM have expressed interest in leveraging the work of the group and using the group as a mechanism for collecting feedback on policies and guidance the agency is developing in this area.

Growing Good in Government – Webinar Series:

The Growing Good in Government Initiative (G3i) working group webinar series has aimed to demonstrate how shared system blockers within government structures, once broken through, can foster a collaborative environment where public servants and stakeholders in academia and industry co-create innovative, scalable solutions. G3i aimed to cultivate excellence and a renewed sense of governance to empower individuals with skills and knowledge to advance solutions that provide the greatest benefits.

The USDA/APHIS MPRBS team established the Integrated Value Network (IVN) as the foundational structure to align the Federal governance artifacts (laws, regulations, policies, strategies, etc.). The IVN aligns and informs various internal and external stakeholders, ensuring coordinated governance between portfolios of programs and projects. The G3i working group webinar is the outcome and outgrowth of that effort to collaborate not only across government but also with academia and industry partners to educate and discuss how such a resource can facilitate resourceful applications of data in innovative ways to better communicate, collaborate, and support continuous improvement.

Identity Management – ICAM Day 2024: 

The ATARC Identity and Access Management Working Group brings together government and industry partners to advance critical IAM capabilities which the federal government, critical infrastructure and commercial enterprises all rely on. A large effort was concentrated in the 2024 ICAM Day that was co-sponsored by GSA and ATARC where leaders from GSA, Venable and 1Kosmos introduced topics that both reflected on the journey the federal government has been on for almost two decades in workforce identity and how the challenge is now to extend that to citizens and to advance the use of federation across federal agencies. Through six breakout sessions industry and government leaders from the IAM Working Group addressed specific IAM challenges and came together at the end of the day to make specific recommendations to overcome these challenges. Subsequent efforts by the ATARC IAM WG are addressing cultural challenges regarding cross-organization federation and reviewing and recommending architectures such as a Federated Hub enabled across multiple Identity Providers (IDPs) that can better address these challenges. With the public draft release of NIST 800-63-4pd the ATARC IAM WG will make comments as a group as we have done in the past and incorporate the latest additions into the activities of the Working Group.

Insider Risk – Webinar Series:

The ATARC Insider Risk Working Group is submitting their work for consideration for the Prestigious GITEC 2025 working group award. Through webinars and internal sessions with government, industry, commercial, and academic experts, the group has played a significant role in shaping the conversation around insider risk. Cases of insider risks in 2024 have unfortunately increased compared to previous years, highlighting the human element as a key enabler for both internal and external threats. The evidence shows that individuals with access privileges have abused those privileges to cause harm or support cyber-attacks. Some insiders unintentionally contribute to these risks due to pressure or stress, emphasizing the need for counter-insider threat mitigation measures. The Insider Risk working group has hosted 10 webinars this year to share best practices and lessons learned, focusing on deterrence, detection, and mitigation strategies. They have expanded the conversation to involve key stakeholders from various departments, agencies, and industry; and have also explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can support risk mitigation efforts. The group’s contributions have brought credit to both ATARC and GITEC, making them worthy candidates for consideration of this award.

Zero Trust – Phase 2 Integration Lab:

The ATARC Zero Trust Working Group has been active for several years, bringing together a diverse range of participants from both government and industry. Its innovative and practical approach has made it a valuable resource for the federal government on the topic of Zero Trust. In 2024, the group entered a new phase, showcasing the “Art of the Possible” to the “Art of the Proven” through 9 (nine) lab demonstrations. These labs featured a variety of technologies, methodologies, and approaches, all tailored to meet common requirements and use cases identified by federal government participants. The success of coordinating, discussing, and facilitating such a large and diverse group has been a notable achievement. Building on this success, the working group is now preparing for the next phase and the challenges ahead as it continues into 2025.