Smarter Gov Tech, Stronger MerITocracy
Cybersecurity

The Department of Defense (DoD) has had an ongoing problem – the cybersecurity of its defense industrial base contractors. An interim rule scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow is the department’s next step in addressing that problem. […]

A recent review by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) did not adequately protect sensitive data on an unencrypted device used during its Vehicle Face System pilot—a facial recognition technology pilot. […]

Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., became the chair today of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, one of the chamber’s primary panels with jurisdiction over cybersecurity issues. […]

CISA

Data from a Federal agency has been stolen in a cyber theft, according to an analysis report released Sept. 24 by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The specific agency, timeframe of the intrusion, and thief are not identified in the report. […]

NIST
cybersecurity
NIST

On Sept. 23, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a “historic” update to its flagship security and privacy guidance, Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations. […]

State Department

As the U.S. faces increased foreign cyber threats, the Department of State said in 2019 that it would stand up a Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) to address these threats, but according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), State hasn’t informed or involved other partners in the bureau planning, which could increase risks of duplicating efforts. […]

CISA

On Friday, Assistant Director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Bryan Ware announced that the agency was issuing Emergency Directive 20-04, which instructs Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies to apply a security update for Microsoft’s Windows Servers to all domain controllers. […]

Treasury
DOJ Department of Justice

In a coordinated effort across three district courts, the Department of Justice unsealed indictments this week in three separate cases against Iran-based individuals all alleged to have committed cyber intrusions on U.S.-based networks. […]

FBI

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have identified an Iran-based cyber actor that is exploiting a virtual private network and targeting several Federal agencies, according to a joint advisory released this week.   […]

VA

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) official said on Sept. 16 that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking action on several major IT modernization and cybersecurity issues that GAO has flagged in recent years, but that the agency still has a lot of work to do to address many of them. […]

Pentagon, DoD

One of the Licensed Partner Publishers selected last week to provide training materials for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body told MeriTalk this week he expects that some of the training materials will be publicly released beginning next month. […]

security

Threat detection and response services provider Trustwave has launched its Trustwave Fusion platform on Amazon Web Services GovCloud – letting Federal agencies and government contractors take advantage of the cloud-native cybersecurity platform to combat ever-changing security threats. […]

US tech

The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 passed the House today and is moving to the Senate for consideration. The legislation would set a minimum-security standard for all IoT devices purchased by government agencies. […]

Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Skinner has been nominated by President Trump to lead the Defense Information System Agency, according to an announcement the Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. His appointment to that post requires Senate confirmation. […]

Nearly two years into an ambitious overhaul of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cyber Security Center (NCSC), brighter horizons are in sight for the agency in the form of improved cyber analytics capabilities. From the start, NOAA took a holistic approach to the NCSC transformation that encompasses people, process, and technology – in equal parts. […]

cybersecurity
Cybersecurity
Christopher Krebs under secretary undersecretary DHS Department of Homeland Security National Protection and Programs Directorate NPPD leader CISA cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency

Categories