The digital transformation in government IT is driving modernization but also expanding the attack surface Federal agencies have to protect. The traditional perimeter no longer exists. Today, there is no “inside” or “outside” the network when it comes to detecting, defending, and deterring cyber attacks. […]
Welcome to MeriTalk News Briefs, where we bring you all the day’s action that didn’t quite make the headlines. No need to shout about ‘em, but we do feel that they merit talk. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on Monday released its semiannual report to Congress, and outside of recurring calls for better cyber threat information sharing, improvements to identity access management, and concerns about U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) IT acquisitions, the report appears to be free of major IT red alerts within the agency. The report covers the period from October 2017 to March 2018. […]
The Federal government is making steady progress in adopting a key anti-phishing email security protocol, installing it on systems more quickly than organizations in other sectors, if a little behind a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deadline. […]
Welcome to MeriTalk News Briefs, where we bring you all the day’s action that didn’t quite make the headlines. No need to shout about ‘em, but we do feel that they merit talk. […]
A report issued May 31 by the New America Foundation’s Cybersecurity Initiative recommends that the Federal government consider three “priority efforts” to help state governments advance their own efforts to improve cybersecurity, including “designating specific cybersecurity funding that is linked to national priorities.” […]
Agencies need to leverage digital recruiting initiatives and enhanced data techniques to better attract talented and diverse personnel, according to human relations professionals at several Federal agencies speaking at a FedInsider webinar held May 31. […]
Following the release of a report to President Trump on the increasing threat of botnets, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Thursday that the government is not doing enough to force the private sector to build better security into Internet of Things (IoT) devices. […]
It’s probably not a shocking revelation to learn that Federal IT managers are less than happy with their agency’s IT infrastructure. Their biggest gripes, according to a recent MeriTalk survey are that it’s 1) expensive, 2) difficult to manage, and 3) inefficient. Small wonder then that the same survey found that nearly all of those who participated—92 percent of 150 Federal IT managers—were frustrated with the state of their infrastructure. […]
We are happy to present the inaugural edition of MeriTalk News Briefs, where we bring you all the day’s action that didn’t quite make the headlines. No need to shout about ‘em, but we do feel that they merit talk. […]
The current cybersecurity workforce shortage in the United States is daunting and only due to get worse over the next few years, the Departments of Commerce (DoC) and Homeland Security (DHS) reported to President Trump in a document released Wednesday. […]
If somebody embodies a can-do, refreshing attitude in government IT, that person is Darryl Peek, the digital innovation evangelist at DHS. Sadly for Uncle Sam and luckily for Salesforce, Peek is leaving government and signing on with Casey Coleman’s all-star team at the cloud leader. […]
A new report from the Departments of Commerce (DoC) and Homeland Security (DHS) suggests that the proliferation of botnets and the automated, distributed cyber attacks they generate will cause greater problems for Federal agencies absent a robust government response to the problem that includes a proper mix of funding, policies, and public-private collaboration. […]
Today the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a joint Technical Alert (TA) identifying two families of malware–dubbed Joanap and Brambul–used by the North Korean government. […]
Federal agencies might not meet the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) data center closure goals, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. Based on current projections, only 7,221 of the 12,062 data centers that agencies reported in August 2017 will be closed by September of this year. […]
Federal government agencies must work on improving mobile device security, as people are increasingly attached to their devices and attackers can wield a variety of new threats that can expose agencies’ passwords, personal information and networks, industry officials said this week. […]
It’s only traditional for heroes to ride off into the sunset–and, appropriate that the sun sets in the West. Dr. Barry West, senior advisor and senior accountable official for risk management at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced plans to hang up his government IT spurs the end of this month. […]
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen emphasized at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing this week the importance of shoring up United States cyber defenses, and said that effort would be helped by adequate funding and reorganization of a key DHS department. […]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today unveiled a new five-pronged strategy aimed at managing “national cyber risk,” and in particular, U.S. “cyber and critical infrastructure security.” […]
Government and industry experts told members of the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology yesterday that blockchain technology pilots and trials are yielding promising results for supply chain and government operations applications. […]
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said today that the agency’s CIO, Adrian Gardner, will leave that position to become executive director of recovery communications technology in FEMA’s Caribbean Area Division. […]
The Department of Homeland Security expects 17 more Federal agencies to have new task orders finalized by the end of summer to support further rollout of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation Program, according to CDM Program Manager Kevin Cox. […]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was in the hot seat during last week’s Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs hearing. […]
The Department of Homeland Security is providing weekly vulnerability scorecards to 106 Federal agencies every Monday, said Rob Karas, the agency’s Director of National Cybersecurity Assessments and Technical Services-NCATS, at the Tenable GovEdge 2018 Conference Thursday. […]
Tenable announced that it recently discovered a critical remote code execution vulnerability in two Schneider Electric applications used in manufacturing, oil and gas, water, automation, and wind and solar power facilities. […]
Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection group, told lawmakers last week that CBP is investing to modernize infrastructure, ports of entry, and mobile technologies across its land-sea-air security operations. […]
Cometh another Congressional hearing on the Department of Homeland Security–DHS–and its ability to lock down the entire nation’s cyber infrastructure. Cometh more finger pointing. The Government Accountability Office–GAO–released a report on DHS’ uphill battle for cybersecurity. With no ostensible end to this job, it’s easy to tell Sisyphus to push harder. […]
Changes are afoot at the Pentagon. President Trump selected Lt. Gen. Bradford “B.J.” Shwedo as the next CIO of the Joint Staff, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced Wednesday. Shwedo will replace Coast Guard Vice Adm. Marshall B. Lytle. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s National Programs and Protection Directorate–NPPD–is one step closer to its first permanent undersecretary in more than a year. Tuesday, Christopher Krebs, who currently serves as acting undersecretary, had an overwhelmingly positive confirmation hearing with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. […]
U.S. Customs and Border Protection–CBP–has enlisted a government IT heavy hitter to help oversee its IT transformation. […]