Cloud computing services can keep pace with the fast-moving nature of private sector workplaces, according to Conrad Unciano, systems engineering manager for CSRA. He said CSRA recently migrated four of its key applications using Amazon cloud services. […]

Both members of the private sector and state governments are struggling under the burden of inconsistent and overlapping Federal cybersecurity regulations, according to experts who spoke before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. […]

James Dempsey, a former member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, wrote a letter last week proposing that President Donald Trump appoint a full board if Congress chooses to renew the National Security Agency’s surveillance law. […]

The underreporting of cyber incidents is a chief issue across Federal agencies, according to Kevin Cox, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program manager for the department of Homeland Security. However, when the CDM Federal dashboard launches in July, agencies will be able to view not only their own cybersecurity issues, but also those of their fellow agencies. […]

Creative thinking is one solution for Federal agencies that defend against cyberattacks, according to Amit Yoran, chairman and CEO of Tenable. […]

The cybersecurity executive order, signed by President Donald Trump, could enable a shift in culture that will help entire agencies gain the cybersecurity knowledge that they need to be successful in their missions, according to agency CIOs. […]

Amid reports that the National Security Agency failed to protect sensitive data after leaks by contractor Edward Snowden, the agency created a GitHub account to share open source code. […]

The personal details of nearly 200 million voters were left exposed online by data firm Deep Root Analytics, which was working on behalf of the Republican National Committee, according to UpGuard, which reported the exposure on June 19 and characterized it as “the largest known exposure of voter information in history.” […]

The Department of Health and Human Services recently named Bruce D. Greenstein as its new chief technology officer. […]

Eighteen technology company CEOs are expected to attend the White House Tech Summit on June 19 to talk about modernizing the government’s tech infrastructure and keeping its computers safe from cyberattacks. The technology leaders could benefit if the government moves to modernize with the help of their hardware, software, and cloud-computing services. […]

Autonomous vehicle technologies have the potential to eliminate road deaths worldwide, according to the Department of Transportation. Companies including Transurban are jumping at the chance to be a part of the autonomous vehicle revolution. […]

The Federal government currently lacks the empowered leadership necessary to address U.S. cyber vulnerabilities, according to former Federal experts testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “For the entire apparatus, there currently isn’t an empowered, either an individual or an agency, to do what I think is necessary,” said Samantha Ravich, senior adviser for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former national security adviser for Vice President Dick Cheney. […]

Former CIA Director John Brennan said that the Federal government should create an independent commission to regulate the digital domain. Brennan said that the commission should be made up of former government officials and private sector engineers to ensure that there are representatives of both backgrounds. […]

Citizens shouldn’t rely only on the law to protect their data, according to Will Ackerly, co-founder and chief technology officer at Virtru and former cloud security architect at the National Security Agency. […]

Much of the government has a fear of taking technological risks, and it is the role of digital services teams to snap agency leadership out of that way of thinking, according to Digital Services panelists at the AWS Public Sector Summit on June 13. […]

Mark Schwartz is stepping down from his post as chief information officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. […]

Citing the WannaCry ransomware attacks, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee brought up concerns with Health and Human Services officials that a similar attack could cause severe damage to U.S. health systems. […]

Government, industry, and the Hill got together for a collaborative powwow about government cloud progress, and specifically FedRAMP, the standardized cloud security certification, at the MeriTalk Cloud Computing Brainstorm on June 7 at the Newseum. The session reviewed progress to date and the path forward for the once-embattled GSA program–and revealed new transparency and important […]

The revelation that the National Security Agency conducted blanket surveillance of spectators at the 2002 Olympic Games could hurt the agency’s chances of getting its surveillance laws renewed this year. Thomas Drake, former NSA executive, submitted a formal declaration on May 25 that revealed the NSA’s program Stellar Wind, the goal of which was to “collect and store virtually all electronic communication going in or out” of the Salt Lake City area. […]

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced that his agency plans to move its medical records to the same electronic system currently used by the Department of Defense. […]

Will the president’s new cybersecurity executive order make a difference? The answer may rest in the implementation and enforcement of the order, according to Greg Gardner. […]

Government officials predict that though getting all Federal agencies to comply with the recent Cybersecurity Executive Order and the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) bill will be difficult, the outcomes will be very beneficial for government. […]

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Balancing the Rights of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly (BROWSER) Act of 2017, which requires Internet service providers to get permission to sell users’ data. […]

The WannaCry ransomware virus code could be used in future attacks with nation-state motivations, a Symantec expert said, even though WannaCry was likely not state-sponsored. […]

A fleet of 16 mannequins is joining the groups of TSA officers who are training for pat-down procedures. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate partnered with Design Interactive last fall to create the Pat-down Accuracy Training Tool. This tool, nicknamed PATT, is a mannequin endowed with a layer of sensors that can detect the amount of pressure a trainee is applying. […]

Only two Federal agencies, the departments of Commerce and Education, have created plans that address all four elements outlined by the Office of Management and Budget’s 10 year-old memorandum requiring agencies to reduce exposure of Social Security numbers. […]

President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget, released on May 23, provides for $228 million of IT modernization funding through the General Services Administration, as laid out in the Modernizing Government Technology Act that passed the House last week. […]

The White House on May 23 released an updated version of its proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, which gives a slightly more detailed look at the president’s budget priorities, including defense, border security measures, law enforcement, veterans services, school choice, and a nationwide parental leave plan. […]

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, gave an overview of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, which focuses more on the taxpayer than the recipients of Federal programs. […]

MeriTalk checked in with 25 Federal agencies to find out who is CIO (or acting CIO) and which of the four position categories their jobs fall into. The 25 agencies MeriTalk researched consist of the 24 that are scored through FITARA and the Office of Management and Budget, which contains the office of the Federal CIO. […]