EPA OIG Flags Cybersecurity, Data Management Issues
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General has flagged cybersecurity and data management issues as top management challenges for the agency in FY2019 that need to be tackled.
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Cheriyan, Fed CIOs Top FedRamp Hearing Witness List
Several high-ranking Federal agency tech leaders are set to testify before the House Government Operations Subcommittee on July 17 when it holds a hearing to consider the effectiveness of the FedRAMP (Federal Risk Assessment and Management Program) program that standardizes security requirements of cloud services used by the government.
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HHS OIG Takes a “Solve Once and Share” Approach to IT Modernization
The Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG) is executing a broad modernization strategy, migrating to the cloud and deploying shared services.
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NGA Recommends State Cyber Disruption Response Plan Strategies
The National Governors Association (NGA) published a report examining state cyber disruption response plans, and providing recommendations for state officials who want to create or review their own response plans.
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Blueprint for Hybrid Cloud Adoption in Smart Cities
A team of academics and experts published a July 10 blueprint that acts as a template to help communities become “smart cities” by adopting a secure hybrid cloud architecture.
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Most Election Systems Run on Outdated Systems, AP Reports
A recent Associated Press analysis found that the majority of election jurisdictions in the U.S. employ aging technologies that could end up being vulnerable to cyberattacks.
FITARA Awards
FITARA Scorecard 8.0 is out — scores have mostly remained stable and no agencies received a failing grade. FITARA is a fixture in Federal IT and remains an important measure of how agencies are prioritizing modernization. Join Congressman Gerry Connolly and MeriTalk for a complimentary award ceremony and networking reception on September 10 at 5 p.m. to honor Federal IT excellence, based on the FITARA Scorecard 8.0 grades.
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House Passes NDAA Bill, Including OPM, Background Check Amendments
The House voted today to approve its version of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2500).
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Stronger Information-Sharing, Partnerships Remain Key to Electric Grid Security
A panel of Federal and non-profit witnesses said that expanding both partnerships with industry and information-sharing to further help secure the U.S. electric grid at a House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Cyber Threats hearing today.
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ISA Announces New Cybersecurity Alliance
The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced June 10 the creation of an “open, collaborative forum to advance cybersecurity awareness, readiness, and knowledge sharing.”
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Court Rules DoD’s JEDI Procurement Can Proceed
The Court of Federal Claims ruled today that the Department of Defense’s procurement of the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) has appropriately followed regulations, and can continue to an award of the contract.
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VA Names Gil Alterovitz Department’s First AI Director
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced its intention to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) research activities, naming Dr. Gil Alterovitz, as the agency’s first director of artificial intelligence.
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Citizenship Data EO Aims at Multi-Agency Collection Effort
The practical challenges of a sweeping effort to collect and analyze data from numerous Federal agencies are about to get a real-world test from President Trump’s most recent executive order.
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House Approves NDAA Amendment to Block OPM-GSA Merger
The House on July 11 approved an amendment to its version of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2500) that would block the Trump administration’s plan to merge the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration.
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GSA, OPM Look to Stabilize IT Infrastructure
With aging infrastructure standing in the way of IT modernization efforts, the Centers of Excellence (CoE) effort at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is looking to stabilize the existing mainframes at OPM before replacing them.
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Senate Dems Tell OPM to Put Brakes on Furloughs
Two Democratic senators told Margaret Weichert, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to put the brakes on proposed furloughs of OPM employees in connection with a plan by the Trump administration to merge OPM with the General Services Administration.
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FCC Tees Up Vote On $20 Billion Rural Broadband Fund
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said in a blog post on July 10 that the agency will consider the $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund which Pai introduced back in April of this year.
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NDAA Amendment Would Put Hold on Facial Recognition at DHS, DoJ
A bipartisan proposed amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2020 would prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) from spending funds on any expansion of facial recognition technologies.
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NASCIO Endorses State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced today that it endorsed S. 1846, the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2019.
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CBP Scouting for Commercial Cloud Service Providers
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is requesting information on market research related to developing an acquisition strategy to acquire services from commercial cloud service providers.
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GSA Seeks System to Support USA Hire Growth
The General Services Administration (GSA) is seeking an online assessment system to integrate with the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) USA Hire to improve online Federal hiring services.