Original broadcast: 8/24/25
This episode of Fed Gov Today spotlights how federal leaders are harnessing AI, strengthening cybersecurity, and rethinking technology readiness to meet mission demands in 2025. Guest host George Jackson speaks first with Mark Chatelaine, Chief Information Officer of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), about NGA’s evolving cloud strategy. Chatelaine explains the shift from a single-provider approach to a multi-cloud environment, designed to ensure resiliency, scalability, and mission speed. He emphasizes the importance of zero trust architectures, reframing the conversation from cybersecurity to cyber resilience, and highlights how AI is now essential for both cyber defense and image analysis at NGA.
The conversation then turns to Troy Schneider, President of Billington Cybersecurity, who previews the 16th Annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit. Schneider explains how the focus around AI has shifted from potential risks to its use as a powerful tool for defenders, and notes the Trump administration’s emphasis on shared responsibility and international collaboration in cyber defense.
Finally, Chris DeLuca, Director of Specialty Engineering in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for R&E, outlines the Pentagon’s adoption of Human Readiness Levels (HRLs). Modeled after NASA’s standards, HRLs ensure that new technologies are not only advanced but also human-centered, mission-ready, and trusted by warfighters.
Inside NGA’s Mission-Speed Makeover: Multi-Cloud, Zero Trust & AI on the Frontlines
Mark Chatelaine, CIO of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), outlines how NGA is modernizing IT to support high-tempo operations. He explains the shift from a single cloud provider to a multi-cloud model that ensures resiliency, cost 
efficiency, and faster data delivery for warfighters and first responders. Chatelaine emphasizes that zero trust is about building cyber resilience, not just security, and that AI is becoming essential in threat detection, image analysis, and workforce tools. He highlights that NGA collects massive volumes of imagery daily, far more than humans alone could analyze, making AI indispensable for prioritizing what analysts see. Beyond mission data, NGA is also experimenting with AI to assist employees in writing self-assessments and supporting supervisors with evaluations, though always with human oversight. By combining cloud flexibility, resilient cybersecurity, and AI-enabled capabilities across both mission and workforce, NGA is positioning itself to deliver mission-critical intelligence at the speed of need while building trust in the systems that enable it.
3 Key Takeaways
- Hybrid to Multi-Cloud Evolution: NGA is moving beyond a single AWS contract toward a multi-cloud environment to strengthen resiliency and scalability.
- Cyber Resilience Over Security: Zero trust at NGA focuses on ensuring systems remain operational under attack, not just preventing breaches.
- AI as a Force Multiplier: From real-time cyber threat detection to image analysis and workforce support, AI is central to NGA’s modernization strategy.
AI vs. Cyber Threats: What 200+ Experts Will Reveal at Billington 2025
Troy Schneider previews the 16th Annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit, highlighting the growing intersection of AI, cyber defense, and IT modernization. He explains that while past discussions focused on the risks—such as how adversaries might
weaponize AI—the 2025 conversation is shifting toward its potential to strengthen defenders. AI is emerging as a powerful tool for log analysis, real-time detection, and scaling cyber operations. Schneider also underscores the Trump administration’s emphasis on “sharing the load” by clarifying CISA’s responsibilities and encouraging more involvement from state and local governments. He notes that cybersecurity is increasingly global, with this year’s summit featuring leaders from allied nations and Ukraine, offering firsthand lessons on the integration of cyber and kinetic warfare. By bringing together federal leaders, local officials, international partners, and industry, the summit aims to foster collaboration across every level of defense. For Schneider, the shift toward holistic, team-based cybersecurity represents both a practical necessity and a hopeful sign that AI can deliver more benefits than risks in the years ahead.
3 Key Takeaways
- AI for Defense: Focus is shifting from AI risks to its power in helping defenders respond faster.
- Policy Direction: Federal strategy emphasizes distributing cybersecurity responsibilities across agencies and states.
- Global Collaboration: International speakers, including Ukraine, highlight cyber as a domain of modern warfare and joint defense.
The Pentagon’s New Standard: How Human Readiness Levels Will Redefine DOD Tech
Chris DeLuca discusses the Defense Department’s adoption of Human Readiness Levels (HRLs), a new standard designed to ensure advanced technologies are not only technically sound but also trusted, usable, and safe for warfighters. Modeled after NASA’s Technology Readiness Levels, HRLs focus on integrating human factors early in the acquisition process to minimize risks and mission failures. DeLuca explains that identifying hazards and usability challenges upfront reduces costs, saves time, and
builds confidence in new systems. The Army is already applying HRLs, with early results showing the importance of early adoption, while the Air Force is developing a decision tool that combines HRLs with TRLs to guide programs. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, along with the ANSI standards process, played a critical role in shaping the new framework, ensuring it draws on deep expertise. DeLuca stresses that HRLs not only help DOD design safer, more human-centered systems but also make it easier for industry partners to demonstrate readiness before systems are fielded. By formalizing this standard, DOD sends a clear signal: technology cannot succeed without human trust, and readiness must be measured not just by innovation, but by usability in real-world missions.
3 Key Takeaways
- Human-Centered Standards: HRLs ensure systems are designed with usability and warfighter needs in mind from the start.
- Early Integration: Applying HRLs early reduces costs, prevents mission risks, and enhances soldier trust in technology.
- Joint Adoption: The Army leads initial use, while the Air Force is developing decision tools integrating HRLs and TRLs.
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