NASA Watchdog Says Cybersecurity Efforts are ‘Disorganized,’ New Contract Shows Promise May 25, 2021 | 3:48 pm A new report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows the agency is exposed to a “higher-than-necessary risk from cyber threats,” but a new contract shows promise for NASA to secure its systems more effectively. […]
Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Ensure DoD Fiscal Responsibility May 25, 2021 | 3:35 pm A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate on May 19 would require that the Department of Defense (DoD) pass a full independent audit beginning fiscal year (FY) 2022, and if each military branch and part of DoD fails to return clean audit results, it would return one percent of its budget to Treasury. […]
Federal CIO Martorana Urges Innovation, Drops Hints on Telework, Data Strategy May 25, 2021 | 3:09 pm Federal CIO Clare Martorana hinted at possible changes coming to Federal telework policy and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Federal Data Strategy during an address today at ACT-IAC’s Emerging Technology and Innovation virtual conference. […]
JAIC’s Ethical AI Lead Marks Progress on Operationalizing Principles May 25, 2021 | 1:38 pm Having adopted the Defense Innovation Board’s (DIB) ethical AI principles last February, a senior official with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) provided an update today on how the department is approaching those principles a year later. […]
IRS Looking for Help to Crack Seized Cryptocurrency Wallets May 25, 2021 | 1:09 pm With more and more people putting their trust in cryptocurrencies, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is beginning to research how to crack and decrypt crypto wallets that have been subject to seizure and forfeiture, according to a May 20 request for information (RFI) posted to SAM.gov. […]
NIAC Report to Focus on Cybersecurity Workforce May 24, 2021 | 4:08 pm President Biden’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) is preparing a report for the White House National Security Council (NSC) focused on “challenges facing the critical infrastructure workforce and the risks to national security posed by a lack of skilled workers,” and paying special attention to the cybersecurity workforce. […]
Over 1 Million Households Enroll in Emergency Broadband Benefit Program May 24, 2021 | 3:44 pm In the first week of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, over one million households enrolled to benefit from the subsidy program, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. […]
USAF’s ABMS Ready to Move to Next Stage of Development May 24, 2021 | 2:45 pm The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is ready to take the next step with its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), after saying the program successfully met “ambitious” key benchmarks. […]
GSA Rolls Out New Sam.gov Website With Improved Security, Functionality May 24, 2021 | 1:48 pm The General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that it has completed the integration of beta.SAM.gov and SAM.gov. […]
House Bill Would Boost DoE Supercomputing Capabilities May 24, 2021 | 1:05 pm Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., introduced a bill May 18 that aims to accelerate the advancement of supercomputing programs at the Department of Energy (DoE). […]
Federal Agencies Ramping AI Pilots, Leaning Into Efforts at the Network’s Edge May 24, 2021 | 12:31 pm Federal agencies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced technology solutions, but face challenges operationalizing AI on larger scales at the agency level. […]
Army Clicks With Remote Collaboration Tools, Hopes to Expand Telework May 24, 2021 | 12:17 pm The U.S. Army was able to successfully utilize remote collaboration tools during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed about 350,000 soldiers to feel connected while teleworking – despite being physically separated. […]
If You’re Not Vaccinated, Swipe Left May 24, 2021 | 11:48 am According to the White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials, dating sites like Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo are adding features that are meant to encourage vaccinations. […]
Employee Investment ‘Imperative’ to Speeding Digital Transformation, Experts Say May 24, 2021 | 9:50 am In an age where Federal agencies are trying to accelerate their digital transformation efforts, Department of Defense (DoD) leaders and IT experts say agencies must invest in their employees in order to speed up modernization. […]
Polling Backs Need for More Federal Cybersecurity Investments, Threat Sharing May 21, 2021 | 3:08 pm Following a string of high-profile cyber attacks against private sector and government organizations over the past several months, more than half of Americans surveyed by The Harris Poll believe further cybersecurity investments are essential to combat the threat, and that the Federal government, the military, and the private sector should share cyber threat and attack data to help in the fight. […]
Federal Agencies Focusing on Increasing Accessibility to Data and Upskilling Workforce May 21, 2021 | 2:40 pm Data has become integral to Federal agencies and their decision-making process, and Federal officials are increasingly finding ways to upskill their workforce to help, officials said May 13. […]
VA Awards $1.1 Billion Benefits Management Contract to Booz Allen May 21, 2021 | 1:20 pm The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a $1.1 billion contract to Booz Allen Hamilton to assist the department with its Benefits Integration Platform (BIP) initiative. […]
Tech Groups Pushing for $750M CISA FY22 Budget Bump May 21, 2021 | 1:06 pm A group of tech trade groups is telling Congress that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) needs a larger budget next year to start putting in place long-term security improvements to meet the rising tide of sophisticated cyberattacks against government and industry. […]
VA Shows Progress on GAO Recs, Gets New IT/Cyber Items Added to List May 21, 2021 | 12:04 pm The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has outlined 28 priority open recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in a new report, which include items involving information technology and timely COVID-19 data collection. […]
UniversIT Has Your Six-Pack for Summer IT Learning May 21, 2021 | 11:44 am A collection of up-to-date IT training courses is now at your fingertips at MeriTalk UniversIT, an online library helping professionals expand their knowledge in key areas of government IT. Users have access to six different courses focused on digitally transforming in the era of telework, cultivating a culture for security and innovation, leveraging next-gen technologies to further the mission, and more. […]
Rep. Connolly Counsels Caution on Federal Office Re-Opening Moves May 21, 2021 | 10:51 am House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is asking the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to proceed with caution as it decides when and to what degree to have Federal employees return to their traditional office workplaces. […]
Rep. McCaul Named Congressional Internet Caucus Co-Chair May 21, 2021 | 10:16 am Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-CA, announced May 20 that Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, will serve as House co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus – succeeding former Rep. Doug Collins in the spot. […]
DoD Official Updates Innovation Work, Says Report Due in August May 20, 2021 | 4:33 pm The Defense Department (DoD) is working to foster innovation in the information technology space, and is due to report findings of an assessment of its research engineering workforce later this year, a DoD official told members of Congress today. […]
House Members Concerned About VA Cybersecurity Strategies May 20, 2021 | 4:18 pm Several House members expressed concern today over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) approach to managing cyber risks and the agency’s cybersecurity strategies, while the agency’s chief information security officer countered that VA cyber programs are on par with those at work in other Federal agencies. “VA prides itself as being the nation’s largest integrated […]
Senate Commerce Advances Lander Nomination to Head OSTP May 20, 2021 | 4:04 pm In a short executive session today, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advanced the nomination of Eric Lander to be the next director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). His nomination will now go to the full Senate for consideration. […]
Senate Bill Aims $100M Annual Grants to State, Local Governments for IT Fixes May 20, 2021 | 4:00 pm New legislation introduced in the Senate today would authorize $100 million of Federal spending per year, for a period of seven years, to help state and local governments take quick action on fixing pressing IT problems. […]
House Homeland Security Committee Advances Slate of Cybersecurity Bills May 20, 2021 | 3:05 pm The House Homeland Security Committee voted May 18 to advance five bills that would look to improve the nation’s cybersecurity in several areas, including protecting pipeline infrastructure, testing cybersecurity readiness, and improving state and local cybersecurity, among others. […]
Endless Frontier Bill Swells With Cyber Measures, Adjusts NSF Research Boost May 20, 2021 | 2:54 pm The Endless Frontier bill championed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and set for Senate floor debate over the next several days has grown by leaps and bounds this week with the addition of semiconductor manufacturing and cybersecurity components and has even gotten a new name – the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. […]
Annual Report Finds Phishing Dominates Public Sector Breaches May 20, 2021 | 12:55 pm In a new report of nearly 30,000 cyber incidents, roughly 70 percent of public sector breaches were found to be the product of social engineering campaigns—relying mostly on phishing attacks. […]
Fed CIO: Cyber Tops Priority List; ‘Holistic’ IT Modernization Plan in Works May 19, 2021 | 4:41 pm Federal CIO Clare Martorana today laid out her vision for civilian government-wide Federal IT improvements that match up broadly with many of the larger goals outlined in projects and spending priorities announced earlier this month for the recent $1 billion cash infusion into the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). In her first extended public policy address […]