As state and local leaders continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an update to its Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Guidance. Version 4.0, released today, provides guidance for jurisdictions and critical infrastructure owners to ensure that essential workers can work safely while supporting ongoing infrastructure operations across the nation. […]
The Department of Energy (DoE) is funding $37 million in artificial intelligence and machine learning research and development (R&D) to improve data and operations at the agency’s scientific user facilities. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is proposing four principles to determine the degree to which decisions made by AI are “explainable,” and hopes that effort helps to jumpstart debate on what should be expected of decision-making technologies. […]
The Census Bureau hired a deputy director for data to help ensure “the 2020 Census data products are of the highest quality.” As of August 16 statistics, the Census Bureau’s Total Self-Response Rate for the 2020 Census was 63.8%. […]
Small Business Administration Deputy CIO Guy Cavallo said today that the agency’s extensive use of cloud-based IT has brought about what he called a “new miracle” of allowing the agency to tap a larger pool of workforce talent that is untethered from geographical limitations. […]
An April decision by the Federal Communications Commission to grant wireless service provider Ligado permission to operate in a spectrum band adjacent to spectrum that the Defense Department says is critical for GPS services is not reviewable under the Congressional Review Act, said the Government Accountability Office in an August 13 finding. […]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leaning into the benefits of working remotely and planning tech advancements to adapt to the new operating model as it moves forward, Deputy CIO Beth Cappello explained at MeriTalk’s Lessons from DHS: The Mission Can’t Stop webinar on August 12. […]
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced today that he has appointed Tip Osterthaler as chair of the FirstNet Authority Board. […]
Jose Arrieta is resigning his positons as CIO and interim chief data officer (CDO) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency spokesperson has confirmed to MeriTalk. […]
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking software to help members of NIH communications offices to monitor, distribute, and analyze social media mentions of the agency. […]
Master’s degree candidates at the University of Indiana at Bloomington has published a review of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. […]
Reflecting on the seventh iteration of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Cyber Storm Exercise that concluded late yesterday, Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Brian Harrell is warning that many organizations fail to understand the security of third-party services that they rely on. […]
From 2017 to 2019, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that homelessness in the United States has grown increasingly, but an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report found that HUD likely underestimates the count due to poor data quality. […]
The Federal Procurement Data System’s (FPDS) reporting function will complete its transition to beta.SAM.gov by October 17, according to an August 3 update from the General Services Administration (GSA). […]
Dr. Jane Pinelas, Chief of Testing, Evaluation, and Assessment at the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said on August 12 that the Centers of Excellence engagement between JAIC and the General Services Administration is paying dividends at the organization’s product testing needs ramp up. […]
Officials from the Marine Corps (USMC) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) credited laying the mobility groundwork and hosting remote work drills, respectively, for helping the agencies prepare workers for the telework transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
One of the top positions at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is now filled by an individual who joined the organization in April. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a new suite of documents that explores the value proposition of Federated Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) technologies, and highlights ICAM’s potential benefits for the public safety community. […]
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared victory in a case involving the regulatory power of local governments and the installation of 5G infrastructure. […]
To help universities protect COVID-19 research, Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation to give those universities and research institutions tools to protect from cyberattacks from foreign cyber actors. […]
House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly, D-Va., asked Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Michael Rigas in an August 12 letter to explain the continuing postponement of the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). […]
NASA is preparing to implement a contact tracing program for its employees to follow exposure to the COVID-19 virus as they return to the worksite, according to an August 11 notice in the Federal Register. […]
The Government Accountability Office has submitted a new report to Congress regarding facial recognition technology, but its primary recommendation from a 2013 report remains – update the consumer privacy framework. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched the final version of Special Publication (SP) 800-207 Zero Trust Architecture on August 11. […]
The U.S. Web Design Systems’ (USWDS) maturity model is focused on making it easier for Federal entities to build accessible, mobile-friendly websites for the American public. […]
The Energy Department is funding five artificial intelligence projects totaling an $8.5 million investment in accessible and reusable AI research and development (R&D), per an August 10 announcement. […]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced a series of staffing changes, including two hires, three departures, and a role expansion for a current advisor, on Aug. 7. […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking an in-depth cybersecurity audit of its Financial Services Center to analyze its compliance with Federal statutes, how the agency is adapting processes to support compliance, and cybersecurity sustainment across VA. […]
New data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shows a substantial increase in the use of online VA healthcare tools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders. […]
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has experienced delays in converting facilities to its new electronic health record (EHR) capabilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now targeting October to implement the changes. […]