William McCormick
Executive Mosaic presents Haywood “Woody†Talcove, CEO of Government for LexisNexis Risk Solutions and LexisNexis Special Services, as a recipient of the Wash100 Award for the second consecutive year.
Woody Talcove has received the most coveted and respected award in government contracting (GovCon) for advocating the modernization of legacy government data processing systems to prevent fraud and accelerate citizen service delivery.
As the U.S. government passed a series of stimulus packages throughout 2020 to counter the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide relief to U.S. citizens and small businesses, Talcove called on the federal government in April 2020 to collaborate with industry to protect stimulus funds from fraudsters.Â
He discussed how fraudsters could target approximately $937 billion worth of relief funds under the CARES Act using antiquated systems and out-of-date data.
“By using old data and systems, millions of individuals who are entitled to stimulus checks will be overlooked, leaving their stimulus payments open to fraudsters,†he wrote. “The government is hiring programmers as fast as possible, but without the advanced identity authentication tools used in the private sector, the COVID-19 pirates will raid with impunity.â€
In addition, Talcove argued that the GSA’s Login.Gov portal is an example of a public-private partnership that leveraged the industry’s advanced security tools to provide the public with secure online access to government initiatives.
“As they explore options, it’s important they look for success stories and case studies within their own agencies. At stake in the United States is an estimated $937 billion meant for individuals and small businesses,†he wrote.
In May 2020, LexisNexis Risk Solutions issued a report that looked at the global cyber threat landscape between July 2019 to December 2019.Â
The study found a year-over-year growth rate of 56 percent in attacks targeting mobile transactions compared with a growth rate of 23 percent for desktop attacks. Mobile app transactions recorded a 171 percent growth in attack rate compared with mobile browser transactions at 14 percent.
In reference to the report, Talcove cited the importance of having the ability to harness intelligence related to location, devices, behavior and identity to fight fraud as the government works to distribute $2 trillion in stimulus payments under the CARES Act and “given the globally connected fraud that permeates digital and remote transactions.â€
“To minimize improper payments, government agencies need to apply velocity checks as well as advanced tools that monitor for the data that bots can’t fake, for example, movement, if that attack is coming from a mobile device,†Talcove said.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ efforts to harness the power of data and analytics to generate and provide insights to help government agencies improve their decision-making processes and reduce risks continue to attract customers.
Under Talcove’s leadership, the company secured a six-year, multimillion-dollar contract to serve as a primary information provider and deliver legal and investigative information technology platforms to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its five component agencies.
“We consider it an honor to put our innovation and research to work to advance the public safety mission across the different DOJ components,†said Talcove. “What is great about this particular award is that it allows us to upgrade legacy location solutions to the next generation data sharing platform of Accurint Virtual Crime Center used by more than 1,400 jurisdictions.â€
Executive Mosaic congratulates Haywood Talcove for his 2021 Wash100 Award. Talcove’s leadership in efforts to help federal customers combat fraud and ensure program integrity with technology has established him as one of the most significant leaders for the GovCon sector in 2021 and beyond.
Visit Wash100.com to cast a vote for Woody Talcove as the most significant executive of consequence to the GovCon sector. Cast your TEN votes TODAY to advocate for your favorite leaders in the federal and government sectors. The elite leader with the most votes by April 30th will be recognized by the GovCon community as the industry’s most influential member.
About The Wash100
This year represents our eighth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement and vision.
Visit theWash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2021 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2021.
