Introduction
Welcome to this edition of Ever to Conquer, where we spotlight the transformative initiatives reshaping America's public sector technology landscape. As we move through August 2025, federal and SLED agencies are advancing AI adoption, bolstering cybersecurity, and modernizing procurement amid evolving threats and opportunities. This edition highlights critical developments from the past week, including key announcements from GSA, DARPA, and state regulators, delivering urgent, high-impact stories to drive collaboration and action.
This edition highlights:
AI & Government Innovation: GSA's Claude AI deal and civic AI tools lead federal advancements.
Cybersecurity: AI Cyber Challenge winners and voice security partnerships address rising threats.
Procurement & Partnerships: AWS OneGov agreements and cooperative purchasing innovations streamline acquisitions.
Data Privacy & Protection: Data breach cost surges and new anonymisation guides tighten protections.
Government IT Modernization: FedRAMP milestones and smart government strategies accelerate cloud adoption.
Public Policy: AI policy deadlines and cybersecurity funding shape federal agendas.
AI and Government Innovation
GSA Strikes Landmark Deal with Anthropic for Claude AI Access
The General Services Administration has secured a first-of-its-kind OneGov agreement with Anthropic, offering Claude AI to all federal employees for $1, aiming to cement U.S. leadership in AI innovation.
This deal empowers agencies with cutting-edge tools for enhanced productivity and decision-making.
Why It Matters: Affordable access to advanced AI democratizes innovation across government, accelerating mission-critical tasks while maintaining security standards.
Actionable Insights:
For Buyers: Evaluate Claude AI integration for administrative efficiencies, ensuring compliance with agency-specific security protocols.
For Sellers: Partner with GSA for similar OneGov deals, highlighting cost-effective AI solutions tailored for federal workflows.
Source: GSA News Release, Aug 2025
Civic Roundtable Launches AI Answers for Public Servants
Civic Roundtable introduced AI Answers, a natural language search tool connecting public servants to vetted information across agencies, streamlining access to policy and operational data.
The platform aims to boost efficiency in daily government operations.
Why It Matters: This tool addresses information silos in public service, enabling faster, more informed decision-making amid complex regulatory environments.
Actionable Insights:
For Buyers: Pilot AI Answers for inter-agency collaboration, focusing on integration with existing knowledge management systems.
For Sellers: Develop similar AI search tools with emphasis on data accuracy and federal privacy compliance to attract SLED clients.
Source: Civic Roundtable Announcement, Aug 2025
🎙️ Check Out This Episode of the Ever To Conquer Podcast 🎙️
How do we protect childhood in a world where tech never asks for permission? Links below for the full conversation.
Cybersecurity
Mutare and Carahsoft Partner for Voice Security Solutions
Mutare and Carahsoft have teamed up to deliver multi-layered voice security solutions to the public sector, addressing rising threats in communication channels.
The partnership makes advanced protection available through government contracts.
Why It Matters: Voice-based attacks are increasing, and this collaboration strengthens defenses for critical public sector communications.
Actionable Insights:
For Buyers: Integrate voice security solutions into existing telephony systems, prioritizing multi-layer protection.
For Sellers: Leverage Carahsoft partnerships to expand voice security offerings in government markets.
Source: Carahsoft News, Aug 2025
State and Local Leaders Urge Congress to Restore MS-ISAC Funding
State and local officials are pushing for restored federal funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), vital for cyber defense programs.
The program supports threat intelligence sharing across jurisdictions.
Why It Matters: Funding cuts jeopardize SLED cybersecurity, potentially exposing critical infrastructure to increased risks.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Industrial Cyber, Aug 2025
Schools Face Uncertainty as Cybersecurity Law Nears Sunset
Ransomware attacks on education jumped 23% in early 2025, with schools uncertain as the cybersecurity info-sharing law approaches expiration.
Renewal is crucial for continued threat collaboration.
Why It Matters: Expiring laws could weaken educational cybersecurity, impacting student data and operational continuity.
Actionable Insights:
Source: GovTech, Aug 2025
Closing Gaps in the Strengthening Cyber Resilience Act
The Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act responds to growing threats, but experts call for broader coverage in public sector protections.
The act aims to bolster defenses against foreign adversaries.
Procurement and Partnerships
GSA Announces New OneGov Deal with AWS
GSA has signed a new OneGov agreement with Amazon Web Services, providing up to $1 billion in incentives for federal cloud adoption and modernization.
The deal supports scalable cloud solutions across agencies.
Why It Matters: This partnership accelerates federal cloud migration, enabling cost-effective IT modernization.
Actionable Insights:
For Buyers: Leverage AWS incentives for cloud projects, ensuring alignment with agency modernization goals.
For Sellers: Explore similar OneGov partnerships to expand cloud offerings in federal markets.
Source: Coalition for Government Procurement, Aug 2025
Agencies and Contractors Modernize Procurement for Consolidation
Federal agencies and contractors are modernizing procurement processes to meet consolidation demands, focusing on efficiency and compliance.
This shift includes agile methods and digital tools.
Why It Matters: Modern procurement supports government consolidation efforts, reducing costs and improving outcomes.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Federal News Network, Aug 2025
Commerce and State Departments Partner for AI Export Packages
The Commerce and State Departments are partnering with industry to deliver secure AI export packages, promoting U.S. leadership in global AI markets.
The initiative focuses on full-stack AI solutions.
Why It Matters: This partnership strengthens U.S. AI competitiveness while ensuring secure international deployments.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Coalition for Government Procurement, Aug 2025
Data Privacy & Protection
Cost of Public Sector Data Breaches Reaches $2.86 Million
IBM's report shows the average cost of public sector data breaches has risen to $2.86 million in 2025, driven by increased attack sophistication.
This underscores the need for stronger preventive measures.
Why It Matters: Rising breach costs strain public budgets and erode citizen trust in government data handling.
Actionable Insights:
Source: THINK Digital Partners, Aug 2025
California Privacy Regulator Enforces Data Broker Registration
California's Privacy Protection Agency fined a Washington data broker for failing to register, highlighting enforcement of new privacy rules.
This action emphasizes compliance for data handlers.
Why It Matters: Stricter enforcement protects consumer data and sets precedents for multi-state operations.
Actionable Insights:
Source: CPPA Announcements, Aug 2025
Asia-Pacific Authorities Publish Data Anonymisation Guide
Privacy commissioners from Hong Kong and Macao released a data anonymisation guide to support secure AI and data practices in the public sector.
The guide promotes best practices for privacy protection.
Why It Matters: Anonymisation enables data-driven innovation while safeguarding privacy in global operations.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Hogan Lovells, Aug 2025
Government IT Modernization
GSA Achieves Record FedRAMP Authorizations in 2025
GSA has completed 114 FedRAMP authorizations in fiscal 2025, more than double last year's total, including four new cloud services through the FedRAMP 20x program.
This milestone surpasses GSA's goals for cloud security.
Why It Matters: Accelerated authorizations enable faster, secure cloud adoption across government.
Actionable Insights:
Source: FedScoop, Aug 2025
Federal CIO Emphasizes Digital Modernization
Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia highlighted that digitization alone isn't modernization, calling for comprehensive IT transformation strategies.
Focus on outcome-driven approaches.
Why It Matters: True modernization requires beyond-digitization thinking to deliver efficient government services.
Actionable Insights:
Source: IBM Center for The Business of Government, Aug 2025
E-Government Act Foundations Remain Strong
The E-Government Act continues to drive advancements in cybersecurity, customer experience, and legacy system modernization across agencies.
Its principles guide current digital initiatives.
Why It Matters: Enduring frameworks support ongoing IT evolution in the public sector.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Federal News Network, Aug 2025
GSA Doubles FedRAMP Authorizations Year-Over-Year
GSA has doubled FedRAMP authorizations in 2025 compared to 2024, exceeding its goal of 100 approvals for the fiscal year.
This surge supports broader cloud implementation.
Why It Matters: Increased authorizations facilitate secure, rapid deployment of cloud technologies in government.
Actionable Insights:
Source: Nextgov, Aug 2025
Closing
The public sector technology landscape is advancing at breakneck speed, driven by AI, cybersecurity, and modernization breakthroughs. From GSA's landmark Claude AI deal to record FedRAMP authorizations, public-private partnerships are delivering transformative results.
As we tackle rising data breach costs, AI policy deadlines, and cloud-driven transformations, collaboration is the key to success. The stories in this edition highlight urgent challenges and innovative solutions for federal and SLED leaders.
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Ever to Conquer is published weekly to foster collaboration, break down marketplace barriers, and accelerate innovation across America’s federal and SLED technology ecosystem.
