Weekly Roundup: March 2-6, 2026

This week’s roundup reflects a week of consequential developments in federal technology, management, and leadership. AI governance and security dominate the conversation—from a presidential ban on a major AI provider to bipartisan efforts to codify federal AI standards. Cybersecurity leaders are on high alert amid escalating geopolitical tensions, while agencies continue pressing toward zero trust maturity. Workforce initiatives are taking shape at OPM, NASA, and DOE, even as performance-based layoff rules signal deeper civil service reform. The week also brought notable agency innovations in HR modernization, data governance, and operational AI deployment.

Artificial Intelligence, Technology Policy & Cybersecurity

Agencies Aim to Harness AI for Cyber Defense. The Trump administration’s forthcoming national cyber strategy is expected to place a premium on AI-enabled cybersecurity. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross has emphasized AI as central to the strategy, both for securing agency AI use cases and equipping federal cyber defenders with AI tools. Former DHS official Brandon Wales warned that AI has become an “accelerant” making the already formidable challenge of securing federal systems harder for CIOs and CISOs.

From Shadow AI to Sanctioned AI: Enabling Federal AI Innovation With Visibility and Guardrails. As agencies accelerate AI deployment into production environments, new security challenges are emerging across human, prompt, and agentic layers. A conversation with Cloudflare’s federal sales director explores how shadow AI use is often a workforce signal rather than rebellion, and why OMB’s updated guidance leans toward enabling innovation rather than simply regulating it—a balance agencies are still working to strike.

NSF Turns to Zero Trust to Prepare Data for AI. The National Science Foundation is applying zero trust principles not just for security, but as the foundation for preparing its data for AI deployment. Acting CDO and Chief AI Officer Michael Hauck explained that disciplined data access and governance are prerequisites before AI can deliver meaningful results at the agency.

State Dept. Says AI Success Starts With Data Governance. The Department of State is finding that success with AI depends less on advanced algorithms and more on disciplined data governance. A State Department technology leader emphasized that agencies need to get foundational data practices right before they can realize the full potential of AI across mission operations.

Trump Bans Federal Agencies From Using Anthropic’s AI. The administration ordered all federal agencies to immediately cease use of Anthropic’s technology, escalating an ongoing dispute between the Pentagon and the AI company that had earlier led to Anthropic being designated a national security supply chain risk. The ban marks a significant moment in the administration’s approach to governing which commercial AI providers can operate across the federal enterprise.

Tech Workers Urge DOD to Reverse Anthropic’s Supply Chain Risk Designation. In response to the Pentagon’s supply chain risk designation of Anthropic, a group of technology workers published an open letter urging the Department of Defense to withdraw the designation. The episode underscores deepening tensions between the administration’s AI procurement posture and segments of the technology community.

OpenAI and the Defense Department Adjust the Deal They Made Days Ago. Just days after announcing a landmark agreement, OpenAI and the Pentagon revised their AI partnership to prohibit use of OpenAI tools for domestic surveillance, autonomous weapons systems, and autonomous decision-making without human oversight. The revised safeguards closely mirror conditions Anthropic had sought—the very terms that led to its supply chain risk designation.

Bipartisan Senators Revive Bill to Codify Federal AI Standards Center. A bipartisan group of senators is reigniting legislation to formally establish NIST’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), create new AI standards, and build testbeds at national laboratories to accelerate AI innovation. The effort reflects sustained bipartisan concern about U.S. leadership in setting AI standards.

Scale AI’s Dan Tadross on Elastic Workflows, Human Judgment, and AI ROI. As agencies push AI beyond pilots, Scale AI’s head of public sector argues that scaling the technology requires distinguishing between “elastic” and “inelastic” workflows—and a willingness to redesign how humans and machines work together. Tadross warns that agencies chasing ROI without redesigning workflows will fail to unlock AI’s full value.

Tech Giants Sign Trump’s ‘Ratepayer Protection Pledge’ on AI Data Center Power. Seven of the nation’s largest technology companies signed the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing to cover all power costs for their AI data centers to avoid shifting energy expenses onto consumers. The move reflects the administration’s effort to broker voluntary commitments from industry as AI infrastructure demands on the energy grid intensify.

Cybersecurity, Zero Trust & Digital Defense

Cybersecurity Leaders Brace for Iran-Linked Cyber Threats. Following the United States’ escalating military action in the Middle East, cybersecurity leaders are on high alert, warning that Iran-linked threat actors could increase cyber activity targeting vulnerable systems and critical infrastructure. The warning highlights how geopolitical events are increasingly reshaping federal cybersecurity threat postures in real time.

Duncan: 2 Key Changes Pushing DOD Toward 2027 Zero Trust Finish Line. With its fiscal year 2027 zero trust deadline approaching, the Pentagon has been reshaped by two major developments over the past year that are accelerating its path to implementation. The shifts reflect lessons learned from early pilots and a broader maturation of zero trust from a compliance exercise to an operational security architecture.

Idaho National Lab Cyber Breach Accelerates Shift to Zero Trust. A 2020 cyber intrusion at Idaho National Laboratory became a catalyst for the lab’s accelerated adoption of zero trust architecture and cloud-delivered security. The lab’s experience offers a practical case study for agencies still weighing the urgency of zero trust modernization.

CMS Turns to Zero Trust, Partners With Zscaler to Modernize Network Security. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is accelerating its transition to zero trust architecture, replacing a “flat” network environment that officials described as a significant security vulnerability. CMS’s partnership with Zscaler is part of a broader pattern of agencies turning to cloud-delivered security as they retire legacy perimeter-based defenses.

Workforce Transformation & Management

OPM Revives Defunct Gov Tech Efforts With Tech Force Hires. OPM formally launched “Tech Force,” a new initiative to bring approximately 1,000 temporary technology specialists—on two-to-four-year stints—into federal agencies to address critical gaps in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and data science. The program revives government tech talent efforts previously stalled by workforce reductions, though analysts raise questions about whether short-term hires can bridge the institutional knowledge gaps left by the departure of mid-career technologists.

NASA, OPM Kick Off Drive for Top Technologists. NASA and OPM launched “NASA Force,” an expansion of the Tech Force initiative focused specifically on recruiting engineers and technology talent to support the U.S. space program. The effort signals that the administration’s workforce recruitment push is extending into mission-critical science and engineering domains beyond general IT.

OPM Proposal Would Tie Federal Layoffs to Performance Ratings. OPM has proposed a new rule that would make employee performance—not seniority—the determining factor in who stays or goes during federal reductions in force. The proposal continues the administration’s effort to overhaul federal performance culture and follows earlier OPM guidance targeting what Director Scott Kupor has called “rampant ratings inflation” across the civil service.

OPM’s HR IT Consolidation Effort Hit With New Obstacles. Two vendors have filed protests with GAO after OPM eliminated them in the final round of competition for a major 10-year HR IT consolidation contract. The protests add uncertainty to a long-anticipated effort to modernize the government’s fragmented human resources technology infrastructure.

Appeals Court Sides With Trump in Federal Union Fight For Now. An appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that had allowed 21 federal agencies to maintain collective bargaining rights after an executive order sought to strip those rights from the federal workforce. The ruling, while provisional, represents a significant development in the ongoing legal battles over the administration’s civil service reform agenda.

Trump Replaces Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary. President Trump announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is departing the department and will be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). The leadership change at DHS comes at a critical period for the department, which oversees CISA, immigration enforcement, and a broad portfolio of technology modernization programs.

Bishop Nominated as DOD CISO. James “Aaron” Bishop has been nominated to serve as the Pentagon’s Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity and Chief Information Security Officer. The nomination fills a critical leadership role at the Department of Defense as it works toward its 2027 zero trust deadline and navigates a rapidly evolving cyber threat environment.

Bob Costello Exiting CISA Amid More CISA Leadership Shakeups. CISA Chief Information Officer Bob Costello announced his departure from the agency after more than two decades in federal service, adding to a series of leadership changes at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The ongoing churn at CISA raises questions about institutional continuity at the government’s primary civilian cyber defense agency.

Trump Taps Cassady for Cyber Ambassador, O’Neill to Lead NSF. President Trump sent two nominations to the Senate: one to lead the National Science Foundation and another to fill the ambassador-at-large role for the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. The nominations signal continued attention to both U.S. science leadership and cyber diplomacy as strategic national priorities.

Agency Innovation & Technology Modernization

DOE Modernizes HR With Workday: TMF-Backed Program Sets Federal Playbook. The Department of Energy has successfully deployed a modern, cloud-based human capital management platform powered by Workday, making it the first cabinet-level agency to move core HR systems into a FedRAMP-authorized cloud. The TMF-backed program is being positioned as a repeatable model for governmentwide HCM modernization.

DOE’s Genesis Mission: Building AI for National Security the Right Way. A commentary from the IT Acquisition Advisory Council argues that the White House’s Genesis Mission represents a turning point in U.S. AI strategy—but that success depends on open standards, trusted infrastructure, and genuine collaboration between DOE’s 17 national labs, industry, and academia. The piece cautions that proprietary architectures would limit collaboration and long-term scalability.

Air Force, DLA Report Operational Gains From ServiceNow, AI Deployments. The Defense Logistics Agency has cut its average customer service case resolution time by 60 percent using ServiceNow and AI tools, while the Air Force is using the platform to standardize systems and improve enterprise-wide visibility. Both agencies presented their results at the ServiceNow Government Forum, offering concrete metrics for the operational impact of AI-enabled workflow platforms.

Army Launches SEAM Gear Tracking System. The U.S. Army has rolled out a new digital platform to track and manage soldier equipment and uniforms, unveiled at the ServiceNow GovForum. The SEAM system is part of a broader Army push to digitize logistics and sustainment operations, reducing the manual burden on unit leaders managing equipment accountability.

Air Force Launches Dashboard to Improve License Management. The Department of the Air Force has developed a real-time software license management dashboard designed to monitor usage and customize licensing across the enterprise. Officials say the tool will improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support a more unified digital experience for airmen and their families.

USDA Moves to Consolidate Farmer Record Systems by 2028. USDA announced its “One Farmer, One File” initiative—a sweeping modernization effort to create a centralized record system for farmers by 2028. The initiative aims to eliminate duplicative data collection across USDA agencies and give farmers a single, unified profile for interacting with the department.

DOE Offers $352M to Advance Next-Gen Energy Technologies. The Department of Energy announced a $352 million funding opportunity for its Energy Frontier Research Centers program, targeting breakthroughs that could eventually enable next-generation energy technologies. The investment supports DOE’s broader research mission at the intersection of scientific discovery and national energy security.

Senate Passes Bill to Reauthorize SBIR, STTR Programs. The Senate unanimously passed legislation reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which provide critical federal funding pathways for small technology companies innovating for government missions. The strong bipartisan vote reflects continued congressional support for small business-driven technology development. 

Army Seeks Industry Partners for Modernization Push. The U.S. Army is inviting industry leaders, investors, and innovators to co-invest in its installations, technology, energy infrastructure, and industrial base as part of a broad modernization initiative. The outreach signals a shift toward more collaborative public-private approaches to building the future force.