ATARC Federal IT Newscast

This episode features Alex Morgan, a materials scientist and fire safety expert, discussing how material flammability and fire hardening are engineered across civilian and military aircraft and spacecraft, from aging aluminum airframes to modern composite structures and unmanned systems. The conversation dives into challenges like lithium-ion battery fires, high-oxygen spacecraft environments, reentry heat shields, and evolving regulations, highlighting how fire science adapts to new aerospace technologies to protect people, payloads, and missions.

In the inaugural episode of the Space Innovation and Defense Launchpad Podcast, Mark Giaconia of Vantor (formerly Maxar) shares his path from Army Special Forces into geospatial technology and software engineering, describing how GEOINT, coding, and data infrastructure have evolved over the past two decades. The conversation dives into tactical-edge geospatial intelligence, AI/ML for analytics, data fusion, UX and policy frictions in government and commercial environments, and how to turn massive volumes of sensor data into concise, actionable insights for users.

In this episode, host Tom Suder, Founder of the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center, sits down with Allen Hill, retired Chief Information Officer at the Federal Communications Commission, for a reflective conversation on four decades of service in federal IT.
They explore the FCC’s cloud transformation, the shift to secure FedRAMP environments, and the importance of building technical teams that can both architect and execute modernization at scale.
Beyond technology, Hill offers perspective on leadership, mentorship, and sustaining a mission driven career in public service. Whether you work in federal IT, lead modernization initiatives, or follow the evolution of government technology, this episode provides valuable insight from one of the community’s most respected CIOs.

In this episode of ATARC's Tech Transforms podcast, host Carolyn Ford sits down with Martin Stanley, Senior Advisor at NIST, to explore how AI is reshaping federal cybersecurity. They dive into NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework, the growing need for secure and resilient AI systems, and what it takes to build a “risk-aware” culture in government. Stanley shares insights on guarding against threats like model theft and prompt injection, how agencies are adapting zero trust principles for AI, and why explainability is essential in machine learning models. Whether you're new to AI governance or advancing your cybersecurity strategy, this episode offers practical guidance for navigating the evolving AI risk landscape.

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Daryl Haegley, Technical Director for Control Systems Cyber Resilience at the Department of the Air Force, shares insights from his nearly four decades of federal service, discussing the evolving landscape of cybersecurity for operational technology and control systems. He talks about the importance of creating a culture of security across government and industry, the challenges of modernizing legacy systems, and the urgent need to address cybersecurity gaps before adversaries exploit them. From developing a first-ever scorecard for facility cybersecurity to his mission of aligning cyber practices with national defense priorities, Haegley underscores the critical role of leadership, collaboration, and continuous innovation in securing the nation’s most vulnerable systems.

For an even deeper dive, here are additional resources for your convenience:
Annual Threat Assessment Report: 2024 DNI ATA and   2025 DNI ATA 
Cyber Resilience Office for Control Systems (CROCS): Watch 
“OT: Lock It Down” Music Video: Listen here 
Articles Referenced:
Wired for Risk – SC World
Cyber Skills Gap – Federal News Network
Cyber OT Training
CROCS website is accessible via govt CA! Send request via email at: [email protected] or by web at: https://usaf.dps.mil/teams/DAFCRoCSGroup  (CAC-enabled)

Connect with Daryl via email: [email protected]