The Defense Department expects to issue a final request for proposal late next month for its multiyear Defense Enclave Services IT contract worth up to $11.7 billion. […]

For agencies looking to implement cybersecurity solutions, Terry Kalka, Chief of Mission Support at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, emphasized that basic cyber hygiene practices will block a majority of cyberattacks unless those attacks stem from a particularly advanced threat actor. […]

According to a new report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), NASA is not adequately securing its networks from unauthorized access by IT devices, and has not fully implemented controls to remove or block unauthorized IT devices from accessing the agency’s networks and systems. […]

Reflecting on the last nearly six months of the coronavirus pandemic – and his two decades in Federal IT experience – Booz Allen Hamilton’s Vice President of Digital Transformation Dan Tucker is looking ahead to more government investments in open data architectures, cloud services, and human-centric digital products as Feds adapt to the shifting telework and service delivery landscape. […]

In August, the Census Bureau announced that it would be delivering appointment data by the statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing delays. Compressed timeframes, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), could present challenges to monitoring ongoing IT risks, among other issues. […]

Officials at the General Services Administration (GSA) have started internal discussions on the impact that pandemic-driven employee telework may have on longer-term uses of government office buildings and other facilities, said Beth Anne Killoran, GSA’s Deputy CIO, at an August 26 event organized by Association for Federal Information Resources Management (AFFIRM). […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released new COVID-19 infection rate numbers today, indicating a decrease in virus spread because of the agency’s emphasis on digital screening and telehealth services. […]

Software Development Operations, or DevOps, can go by many names. DevSecOps, inserts Security into the equation while DevSecEthOps throws ethics into the mix, but ultimately the goal of the process is to build secure software – fast. […]

The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced Aug. 26 that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has entered a consent decree imposing a permanent injunction which bars two individuals and two companies from conveying any telephone calls into the U.S. telephone system. The two individuals are spouses Nicholas and Natasha Palumbo, and their companies, Ecommerce National LLC and SIP Retail. […]

Most Americans (78 percent) are concerned or very concerned about protecting their personal data, which could impact the country’s ability to accurately contact trace during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey from Privitar has revealed. […]

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen urged Americans this week to participate fully in the democratic process and realize that the fear of “malign influence” on elections are as old as the country itself. […]

Federal IT operations time and again have proved to be the resilient lifeline to vital citizen services during the COVID-19 pandemic. As government and society map the path to recovery, MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories and lessons of how government IT has innovated on the fly to meet the demands of the crisis and anchor more resilient services going forward. In the latest installment of CIO Crossroads, we turn to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) five months into the fight. […]

New legislation introduced in the House by Reps. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., expands on Senate legislation passed earlier this year to plan for, develop, and grow Internet of Things (IoT) investments.  […]

While the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 guidance was finalized in late July, Program Manager Sean Connelly reiterated at an August 26 FedInsider webinar that the documents are only the first steps of TIC 3.0 efforts. […]

The General Services Administration is well-known for its work implementing tech solutions across the Federal government, but a GSA official this week praised the work being done at the municipal level to provide 5G services in cities across the country. […]

With artificial intelligence applications still being developed, the chief technology officer of the nation’s primary cyber agency said “a new cadre of data professionals” is needed in order to prepare cyber information for analysis. […]

The White House said today it has directed the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to spend more than $1 billion over several years to establish 12 new research institutes for the development of artificial intelligence technologies and quantum information sciences. […]

Reps. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said during an August 25 Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) webinar that they plan to introduce a resolution to recognize the steps the Federal government has taken in AI R&D. […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a new scheduling tool as a part of its electronic health record modernization (EHRM) efforts to streamline its appointment scheduling process for providers. […]

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) FedRAMP Program has made significant strides over fiscal year 2020 and its priorities remain consistent as we look toward FY2021. […]

Reps. Scott Peters, D-Calif., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Brian Fitzpatrick, D-Pa., introduced legislation August 21 to streamline COVID-19 data collection and management through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). […]

As Federal agencies increase their dependence on telework to fulfill mission needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of multi-cloud environments is surging. However, with a changing cloud landscape, Federal agencies must modernize their cybersecurity strategies. […]

After success with last year’s Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is launching a virtual data science training program to teach Feds data skills relevant to their current roles. […]

In a report conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), IRS was found to not have developed specific or long-term plans to modernize or retire most of its IT legacy systems. […]

John Felker, a 30-year Coast Guard veteran and a vital force in building mission capabilities of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency over the past several years, said he plans to retire from government service on Sept. 25. […]

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has sent letters to the CEOs of four major technology companies asking that the firms take a variety of actions to put digital devices into the hands of students who lack the proper equipment to engage in online learning. […]

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) should help agencies analyze employee feedback data to uncover effective strategies for increasing retention of military veterans that the agencies hire. […]

The chief data officer of the U.S. Air Force’s SEEK EAGLE Office (AFSEO) – which certifies weapons and other aircraft-attached equipment using digital modeling, simulation and analysis, and ground and flight tests – reported last week on progress that the organization is making in overhauling data management practices with the benefit of machine learning and other technologies. […]

A new survey found that Federal chief data officers are showing signs of progress in implementing their new responsibilities, while challenges to the full scope of their missions remain. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) today released its strategy to “ensure the security and resilience of 5G technology” in the United States. […]