The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is seeking other means to identify airline passengers when they cannot provide acceptable identity documentation. […]
Reflecting on tech progress during the COVID-19 pandemic, Deputy Federal CIO Maria Roat advocated for IT transformation culture changes and sustaining modernization projects in the long term to keep up the momentum for Federal IT improvements. […]
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing in introducing quantum information science (QIS) into K-12 schools, awarding a $750,000 award to an Illinois-based organization that is looking to spread quantum-related curricula. […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is working toward meeting the Office of Management and Budget’s Frictionless Acquisition Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal with innovative data management through its Pilot IRS program. […]
As government cybersecurity practices shifted to adjust to the increase in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) previewed cyber tools offered by the agencies, but reminded Feds that knowing the network architecture is an early and necessary step toward selecting the correct protections. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a new online tool designed to help individuals navigate career options in the field of cybersecurity. […]
When it comes to the security of sensitive information in the energy sector, collaboration between the Department of Energy, intelligence community, and private sector are foundational to these efforts, Senior Advisor at the Office of Policy for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, & Emergency Response Alexander Gates said. […]
The Trump Administration has released guidance on implementing an executive order (EO) for agencies that emphasizes hiring based on skills rather than whether the potential hire has a college degree. […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released August 3 that Federal agencies still need to take action on about one-fifth of the cybersecurity recommendations that GAO has issued over the past ten years, and warned of increasing security risks until agencies address them. […]
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., proposed in a July 31 letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to engineer a dramatic, long-term funding increase for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) by moving $2 billion of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) IT modernization work to the front of the TMF funding line. […]
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., 20 Democratic senators plus Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, urged leadership to include maximum telework provisions for Federal employees and contractors in the next coronavirus relief package. […]
Federal government IT and its ability to deliver vital services to citizens is often said to be one of the few notably bipartisan issues left in Congress, and that sentiment was on clear display as the House Government Operations Subcommittee unveiled its tenth FITARA Scorecard at a public hearing on August 3. […]
After moving to nearly 90 percent telework in April, the State Department has entered the second phase of its reopening plan. […]
The Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce released an update to their ongoing work to address botnets, automated and distributed attacks on the internet, which threaten the nation’s internet infrastructure. […]
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the completion of the second phase of its Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) consolidation and has now begun its third and final phase. […]
On July 30, the Senate passed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Information Technology Reform Act, which would improve VA management of IT projects and investments, among other things. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the final versions of three of the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 guidance documents today. […]
As the congressionally mandated National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service concludes its three-year effort, several of its cyber workforce recommendations are ripe for legislative action, including the idea of a civilian cybersecurity reserve. […]
This week the Federal agency primarily responsible for protecting elections held a training event to test its plans in advance of November’s Election Day. The third “Tabletop the Vote” exercise hosted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, took place over a three day period from July 28 to 30, featuring 37 states and over 2,000 total participants, the majority of which participated remotely. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is looking to gain feedback on Draft NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-53B, Control Baselines for Information Systems and Organizations. […]
Department of Agriculture (USDA) CIO Gary Washington is crediting the cloud for keeping agency networks cyber-secure during the coronavirus pandemic, and lauding the technology’s cost-savings and efficiency benefits in a remote environment. […]
While telecommunications providers in the United States prepare to rip out and replace gear from China-based Huawei and the United Kingdom has moved to eventually ban the company’s equipment from its 5G networks, the German government has officially stated its neutrality in the matter. […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic marches into August, many Federal agencies are reflecting on the challenges of their initial transition to the telework environment, what positives have resulted, and lessons learned from the transition. […]
In a report to congressional committees, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found through data analysis that a majority of government-wide contracting in response to COVID-19— about 62 percent—is going to items that protect patients and healthcare workers, but that most deals have been awarded noncompetitively. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency announced that its third annual National Cybersecurity Summit will move online this year and take place through a series of weekly webinars starting in September. […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is implementing a national digital divide consult as a part of its efforts to ensure that veterans without broadband connectivity can access necessary telehealth services, an agency official confirmed at a July 29 Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing. […]
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has identified warning signs for procurement officials on how to spot anticompetitive bidding schemes that may be used to procure COVID-19 relief funds. […]
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a slew of new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) initiatives on July 28 to enable innovative research objectives through technologies such as AI and cloud. […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Information and Technology and Loan Guaranty Service awarded a contract worth up to $328 million to Accenture to modernize the VA’s home loan program. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced July 28 the second annual President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition. Registration is open to any Federal Executive branch employee, including Department of Defense (DoD) and uniformed service members, with a knack for cybersecurity. Individuals can either register solo or as part of a team. […]