GAO: OPM Needs Stronger IT Modernization Plan for Retirement Applications
Both the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) agree that OPM is facing delays in handling retirement applications and needs to replace the paper-based process, but GAO urged OPM to come up with a more concrete IT modernization plan for the program in a report released Friday, June 14.
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DHS Issues RFI for Cloud-Based Biometric Processing System Solutions
As the Department of Homeland Security Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) has begun migrating its biometric processing system to the cloud, the office issued a Request for Information (RFI) today to gather information for developing, maintaining, and securing its data on the new cloud environment.
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Brown, Walberg Amendments Look to Boost Cyber Funding in House Spending Package
Among the many amendments that representatives will pitch next week to adjust the House spending package, Reps. Anthony Brown, D-Md., and Tim Walberg, R-Mich., look to introduce amendments to increase cybersecurity funding.
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Senators Debut Legislation to Deter Illegal Robocalls
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone (DO NOT) Call Act of 2019 on June 14. The legislation “will improve enforcement and enhance penalties for violations made under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA),” according to the bill’s sponsors.
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GAO Finds Limited Government Oversight on Airline IT Outages
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Federal government does not collect data on airline IT outages, leading to limited insights into how IT outages impact travelers, according to a report released June 12.
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Reps. Clarke, Walberg Intro Bill to Address 5G Workforce Needs
Reps. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., and Tim Walberg R-Mich., introduced new legislation on June 13 to “help close the workforce shortage in the telecommunications industry.” The legislators said the TOWER Infrastructure Deployment Act, H.R. 3255, “reflects the need for a highly-skilled, professional workforce equipped to deploy 5G, lightning-fast broadband networks, and new broadcast technology.”
Inspiring Innovation: Data Thrivers in the Cloud Revolution
By 2025, the world’s data will have grown to 163 zettabytes. In the digital age, data is no longer locked away – it’s distributed, dynamic, and diverse.
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Reps. Hope for Green Light on Smart Traffic Lights Bill
Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif, introduced the Less Traffic with Smart Stop Lights Act of 2019 (HR 3261) on June 13 to establish a Department of Transportation grant program to modernize stoplights to “reduce traffic, improve safety, reduce fuel costs, and lessen air pollution.”
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Bipartisan Bill to Ramp up JROTC Cyber Training
On June 13, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, introduced the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Cyber Training Act (H.R. 3266) that would direct the Secretary of Defense to initiate a high school-level program that would increase JROTC students’ preparation for careers in computer science and cybersecurity.
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DISA’s Contracting Branch to Cut Enterprise Acquisition Services Fee
The Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA’s) contracting branch – the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) – will reduce its enterprise acquisition services fee starting Oct. 1.
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Klobuchar, Murkowski Introduce Bill to Protect Consumer Health Data Privacy
Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced the Protecting Personal Health Data Act today to safeguard the privacy of consumer health data from companies that collect such data.
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Enterprise Cloud Coalition Launches
Seven companies – Box, Dropbox, Okta, Slack, Twilio, Workday, and Zendesk – announced the launch of the Enterprise Cloud Coalition (ECC) on June 13.
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New VA Disability Compensation Claim Tool Reports Positive User Metrics
Veterans submitted 3,000 benefits compensation claims using the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) new Disability Compensation Claim Tool in the first month of the tool’s launch and have reported positive experiences using it, the VA announced in a June 13 news release.
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GAO: Agencies Should Discontinue Knowledge-Based Verification
In light of the increasing ubiquity of data breaches, Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report today recommending that Federal agencies should discontinue knowledge-based verification to strengthen their remote identity proofing processes and that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) should provide guidance in creating alternative identity proofing methods.
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VA IG Highlights Admin Weaknesses in Major VA IT Contract
While auditing for potential violations of contracting regulations, the Inspector General (IG) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found weaknesses in the administration of the $22.3 billion Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG) contract.
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Shadow IT Concerns in Federal Cloud Adoption
Agencies continue to move their data to the cloud, but increasing adoption of cloud applications outside of existing security programs like FedRAMP (the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) and the CIO’s office brings security concerns as well, a new report notes.
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Forrester CX Index: Brand CX Scores Overall Stagnant, Tech Remains Key to Future CX Success
Despite organizations’ efforts to improve customer experience (CX), the 2019 Forrester CX Index indicates little to no rise in CX scores from last year across a range of industries, and that technology is the key forward in improving CX.
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Striking Balance in AI Implementation Benefits Workforce
Artificial Intelligence and how it may impact employees is front-of-mind when it comes to workforce issues, but having “organizational depth” can help ease the transition of implementing AI in a rational and beneficial way.
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House Oversight Advances IoT Cybersecurity Bill
The House Oversight and Reform Committee advanced the Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 out of Committee on June 12. The bipartisan legislation, cosponsored by Reps. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Will Hurd, R-Texas, would establish Federal baseline standards for all government-purchased Internet-connected devices.
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DoD to Streamline Cyber Acquisition With New Certification Model
The Defense Department (DoD) Office of Under Secretary Acquisition of Sustainment is creating a new certification model to streamline DoD’s cybersecurity acquisition processes, Special Assistant to DoD’s Assistant Secretary of Defense Acquisition for Cyber Katie Arrington said at the Professional Services Council Federal Acquisition Conference today.
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Study: FedRAMP Increasing SaaS Authorizations, Reducing Wait Times
The FedRAMP program has provided more authorizations to software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and reduced the time to authorization in the last three years of the program, according to an analysis of the program.