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He also stressed the urgent need to move to the cloud to support a mission that runs around the clock. Thank you to Kurt Farber, Vice President of the Border Security Portfolio at @SAICinc, for the intro.

#POCHomeland2026

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“Agile innovation at the speed of mission” was a clear call to action from Sonny Bhagowalia, CIO and Assistant Commissioner of @CBP’s Office of Information and Technology.

In his keynote address, Bhagowalia called for strategic transformation alongside tactical excellence.

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For industry, the message was clear: watch the forecast, respond thoughtfully to RFIs, and ask questions early. Thank you, Ella Fitzgerald, Vice President & Division Manager, Homeland Security Division of @MANTECH, for introducing our keynote speaker!

#POCHomeland2026

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$83.5B in FY26 obligations & @DHSgov expects another busy year ahead. DHS Chief Procurement Officer Paul Courtney outlined what that means for industry: more emphasis on department-wide requirements, faster acquisition approaches, and opportunities to engage early.

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3 Main Takeaways:
💠 DHS is piloting AI tools across the acquisition lifecycle, with people making the decisions
💠 A new procurement forecast system is targeted for Dec 9
💠 The multibillion-dollar TACTICS solicitation is expected this month, with an award targeted for Apr 2027

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“Leave this agency better than I found it” is the goal guiding that work, Curran said. Thank you to Philip Miller, Senior Vice President at @procentrix, for introducing Director Curran.

#POCHomeland2026

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Live from the 2026 Homeland Security Summit: @SecretService Director Sean Curran is speaking about how the agency is growing its workforce, modernizing its capabilities and preparing for rising protective demands, including the 2028 @Olympics and @Paralympics Games.

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Panelists shared how transparency into AI decisions & clear ownership of risk help build confidence at scale. Thank you Bob Kolasky (@ExigerLLC), Christine Palmer (@PeratonCorp), David Kaufman (CNA), Lisa Walbert (DEA), Karen Evans (@DHSgov)and Dr. Nikki Collier (@dojphofficial)

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Trust in homeland security technology isn’t built on a spec sheet. It’s built when the technology works for the people carrying out the mission.

#POCHomeland2026

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At the panel "Mission Confidence: Building Trust in Homeland Security Technologies," the discussion focused on real-world performance, end-user involvement, and the need to adopt new capabilities faster without abandoning safeguards.

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Thank you to panelists Adam Stahl (@TSA), Emilia Bakopoulos (@CBP), Timothy Kocher (@DHSgov), Johnnie Sharp, Jr. (@MANTECH), and Jeremy Blaney (@ExigerLLC) for the discussion. Thanks also to the moderator for guiding the conversation, Ella Fitzgerald (@MANTECH).

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LA28 security won’t stop at the stadium gate. Across 80-plus venues, a disruption to transit, utilities or supplier technology could ripple through the Games. Government and industry need to be ready to respond together.

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During the “Our Soil, Our Rules: Public-Private Collaboration on Security in Lead-Up to LA28” panel, three takeaways stood out:
🔹Prepare for overlapping threats
🔹Build relationships before an incident
🔹Make intelligence actionable

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It’s important, Thorne said, to identify where it’d be most useful and to incorporate guardrails and governance without quashing innovation. Our sincere thanks to @procentrix's Philip Miller for moderating!
#POCHomeland2026

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Agentic AI is permeating the government right now. CBP is currently devising a framework for agentic capabilities in order to build an agentic platform for mission applications.
A memo is going out soon internally; @CBP CTO Sunil Madhugiri said during a panel at #POCHomeland2026

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For a discussion on AI’s potential and impacts in national security work, @HSI_HQ' Eric McLoughlin, CBP’s Nael Samha, CAS' Molly Strausbaugh, and @ICEgov Deputy CIO Robert Thorne, who said that officers are eager to use AI but don’t always know where to apply it.

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Thank you to our panelists: Richard Miller (@NokiaFederal), Ruynard Singleton (@CBP), Scott St. Pierre (@USCG), Samantha Anderson (@DHSgov) and Kitty Nix (@AWS).

And thank you to the moderator Kris Levin-Snow (@ATT) for guiding the discussion.

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At the border and at major national events, timely information depends on technology that works where the mission happens.“Modernizing the Homeland Security Mission: Edge Capabilities for the Border and National Events” focused on three themes ⤵️

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🔹Build on what’s already in place
🔹Bring analysis closer to the action
🔹Plan for disrupted connectivity

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Thank you, Dave Abel (Protora), for moderating this conversation, and Yusuf Abdul-Salaam (Xpect Solutions), Erik Grant (@CACIIntl), and Clarence Hinton (Everfox) for participating!

#POCHomeland2026

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Cybersecurity & counter-drone defense aren’t parallel challenges; they’re part of the same fight.

Lunch panel, Code & Drones: DHS's Parallel Fights to Build Cyber Talent and FUMS, explored how @DHSgov can field counter-drone systems faster while building talent and trust.

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From realistic testing and domestic supply chains to AI and cross-agency collaboration, one theme stood out: technology only works at scale when people and systems can work together.