Cloud Brings ‘New Miracle’ to SBA, Deputy CIO Cavallo Says Aug 18, 2020 | 9:00 am 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. […]
FCC’s Ligado Ruling Not Addressable Under CRA, GAO Finds Aug 17, 2020 | 3:19 pm 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. […]
DHS Transitioning to Remote Posture as ‘New Operating Model,’ Deputy CIO Says Aug 17, 2020 | 3:00 pm 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. […]
Commerce Secretary Appoints new Chair of FirstNet Authority Board Aug 17, 2020 | 2:49 pm Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced today that he has appointed Tip Osterthaler as chair of the FirstNet Authority Board. […]
Arrieta Stepping Down as HHS CIO, Interim CDO Aug 15, 2020 | 1:15 pm 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. […]
NIH Seeking a Social Media Monitoring Tool Aug 14, 2020 | 4:00 pm 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. […]
ACT-IAC Publishes NIST Cybersecurity Framework Review Aug 14, 2020 | 2:44 pm 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. […]
CISA Official Warns Organizations to Check Third-Party Security Following Cyber Exercise Aug 14, 2020 | 2:15 pm 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. […]
GAO: Poor Data Quality Leading to Underestimates of Homelessness Aug 14, 2020 | 11:21 am 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. […]
FPDS Reports Transitioning to Beta.SAM.Gov by Mid-October Aug 14, 2020 | 11:09 am 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). […]
JAIC TE&A Chief Says GSA CoE Helping with Repeatable Testing Tech Aug 13, 2020 | 4:21 pm 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. […]
Marine Corps’ Mobile Ready Position, NRC’s Remote Work Drills Aided Agency Telework Adjustments Aug 13, 2020 | 3:49 pm 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. […]
NTIA Names New Acting Assistant Secretary Aug 13, 2020 | 3:48 pm One of the top positions at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is now filled by an individual who joined the organization in April. […]
CISA Releases ICAM Value Proposition Documents Aug 13, 2020 | 3:06 pm 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. […]
FCC Chairman: Court Decision Paves Way for Faster 5G Deployments Aug 13, 2020 | 1:28 pm 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. […]
Bill Introduced to Help Universities Protect COVID-19 Research Aug 13, 2020 | 11:44 am 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. […]
Rep. Connolly Asks OPM to Explain FEVS Delays Aug 13, 2020 | 11:33 am 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 Launching Voluntary Contact Tracing Program for Employees Aug 12, 2020 | 11:34 am 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. […]
GAO to Congress on Facial Rec Tech: Update Consumer Privacy Framework Aug 11, 2020 | 4:03 pm 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. […]
NIST Publishes Zero Trust Framework Aug 11, 2020 | 3:36 pm The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched the final version of Special Publication (SP) 800-207 Zero Trust Architecture on August 11. […]
USWDS Helping Improve CX on Federal Websites Aug 11, 2020 | 1:43 pm 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. […]
Energy Department Funding $8.5M Accessible AI R&D Investment Aug 11, 2020 | 12:55 pm 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. […]
Staff Changes at FCC Aug 10, 2020 | 3:30 pm 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. […]
VA Seeking ‘In-Depth’ Cyber Audit of its Financial Services Center Aug 10, 2020 | 2:58 pm 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. […]
VA Sees 24 Percent Spike in Use of Online Healthcare Tools Aug 10, 2020 | 11:46 am 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. […]
VA Aims for October EHR Implementation Launch Aug 10, 2020 | 11:10 am 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. […]
VA OIG Finds Room for Improvement in Health Information Exchanges Aug 7, 2020 | 3:58 pm The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reviewed usage health information exchanges (HIEs) at 48 VA facilities and community providers for possible barriers to their use. […]
Department of State Offers Reward for Information on Election Interference Aug 7, 2020 | 3:10 pm A Department of State program is offering up to $10 million to help identify bad actors, individuals who are working with or for a foreign government with the purpose of interfering with U.S. elections through certain cyber acts. […]
State Department Cyber Diplomat Departs for ITI Aug 7, 2020 | 11:35 am Amb. Robert Strayer, the Department of State’s point person for cyber and international communications policy, is leaving government to join the Information Technology Industry (ITI) Council, a global technology trade association. […]
State Department Launches ‘Clean Network’ Program Against China-Based Comms Aug 7, 2020 | 11:22 am The Department of State launched the Clean Network program on August 5 to promote the protection of American data and telecommunications infrastructure, specifically targeting China-based companies. […]