Sen. King Calls for More Fed-Industry Cooperation on Cybersecurity May 27, 2021 | 3:57 pm The recent Colonial Pipeline hack has made more people aware of the threats that lurk in cyberspace, and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, says it’s time for the government to develop a new relationship with the private sector on cybersecurity and take an all-of-society approach to protecting critical infrastructure. “The private sector has been very reluctant […]
New TSA Directive Requires Critical Pipeline Operators to Disclose Cyber Incidents May 27, 2021 | 3:55 pm In light of the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a new directive requiring all critical pipeline owners and operators to report cyberattacks, DHS announced today. […]
Army Orders IoT Devices Off During Telework, Citing Cybersecurity Issues May 27, 2021 | 3:21 pm The U.S. Army CIO has released a new policy for Internet of Things (IoT) device cybersecurity which mandates that all Army personnel who are approved to telework remove or turn off all IoT devices in their workspaces. […]
VA Underestimated Cost of EHR Modernization by up to $2.6 Billion May 27, 2021 | 12:58 pm The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) strategic review of the VA’s Electronic Health Records (EHR) program has found that the agency underestimated program costs by between $1 billion and $2.6 billion. […]
House Bill Aims to Create Blockchain Center of Excellence May 27, 2021 | 11:51 am Legislation to establish a Blockchain Center of Excellence (CoE) within the Department of Commerce was reintroduced in the House on May 25. […]
NGA Data Chief Flags Need for Speed on Cyber Apps at GDIT Emerge May 27, 2021 | 11:43 am Mark Munsell, deputy director of data and innovation at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the agency’s former CTO, is urging the Federal government to build cyber applications faster in order to out-compete adversaries, and to expand industry partnerships. […]
Status Quo is Biggest Tech Risk, Commerce CIO Tells GDIT Emerge May 26, 2021 | 4:58 pm For government agencies and other organizations that face the daunting task of modernizing their IT systems to meet new and developing requirements, the greatest technical risk they face is maintaining the status quo. […]
Telework Accelerated a Cultural Shift Within Agencies, Fed IT Leaders Say May 26, 2021 | 4:10 pm The COVID-19 pandemic forced Federal agencies to work remotely almost immediately, but Federal CIOs and CTOs agree that this shift to teleworking has enabled agencies to undergo a transformational cultural shift within the agency and provides more opportunities for innovation. […]
DHS Secretary Mayorkas Answers Questions on CISA, Cyber Talent for Senate Subcommittee May 26, 2021 | 4:07 pm In a Senate Appropriations Committee review of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request today, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized the importance of building resilience among the nation’s cybersecurity and the cyber workforce. […]
Workforce Identified as Backbone to Building up Smart Cities May 26, 2021 | 3:57 pm Connected cities are not just seeking ways to transform their technology infrastructure, but also looking to build a 21st-century workforce across critical sectors to meet the challenges of innovative transformation. During the ACT-IAC Emerging Technology and Innovation event today, IT officials from across the country spoke to how workforce scarcity is the real capital that’s […]
Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Encryption Laws Introduced in the House May 26, 2021 | 3:06 pm Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., led a bipartisan group of legislators in reintroducing the Ensuring National Constitutional Rights for Your Private Telecommunications (ENCRYPT) Act. […]
PSC Urges Congress to Include Cyber, IT Funding in Infrastructure Package May 26, 2021 | 2:39 pm The Professional Services Council (PSC), which represents government contractors, urged Congress in a May 21 letter to include funding for cybersecurity and IT modernization in an upcoming infrastructure funding package that aligns with President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. […]
GSA TTS Chief Aims to Speed Tech Development by Clearing Hurdles May 25, 2021 | 4:39 pm Dave Zvenyach, director of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services (TTS) organization, said today he is aiming for TTS to help Federal agencies speed technology development in several areas. But he explained that in some cases, TTS assistance also takes the form of less tech-flashy work such as preparing agencies for new deployments by working through governance and policy issues. […]
DoD Research and Engineering Nominee Calls for Overhaul of DoD Investment Strategy May 25, 2021 | 3:56 pm Heidi Shyu, President Biden’s nominee for under secretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense (DoD), said today she wants the DoD to change its internal investment strategy and prioritize investments in emerging technologies over sustaining legacy systems. […]
GAO: Congress Should Create an Entity to Collect Comprehensive Historical Cyberattack Data May 25, 2021 | 3:54 pm The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 gave the Government Accountability Office (GAO) marching orders to complete a study of the United States cyber insurance market, and GAO’s findings reinforced a recommendation by the National Cyberspace Solarium Commission for Congress to create an agency specifically tasked with collecting better data. […]
NASA Watchdog Says Cybersecurity Efforts are ‘Disorganized,’ New Contract Shows Promise May 25, 2021 | 3:48 pm A new report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows the agency is exposed to a “higher-than-necessary risk from cyber threats,” but a new contract shows promise for NASA to secure its systems more effectively. […]
Federal CIO Martorana Urges Innovation, Drops Hints on Telework, Data Strategy May 25, 2021 | 3:09 pm Federal CIO Clare Martorana hinted at possible changes coming to Federal telework policy and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Federal Data Strategy during an address today at ACT-IAC’s Emerging Technology and Innovation virtual conference. […]
JAIC’s Ethical AI Lead Marks Progress on Operationalizing Principles May 25, 2021 | 1:38 pm Having adopted the Defense Innovation Board’s (DIB) ethical AI principles last February, a senior official with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) provided an update today on how the department is approaching those principles a year later. […]
IRS Looking for Help to Crack Seized Cryptocurrency Wallets May 25, 2021 | 1:09 pm With more and more people putting their trust in cryptocurrencies, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is beginning to research how to crack and decrypt crypto wallets that have been subject to seizure and forfeiture, according to a May 20 request for information (RFI) posted to SAM.gov. […]
NIAC Report to Focus on Cybersecurity Workforce May 24, 2021 | 4:08 pm President Biden’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) is preparing a report for the White House National Security Council (NSC) focused on “challenges facing the critical infrastructure workforce and the risks to national security posed by a lack of skilled workers,” and paying special attention to the cybersecurity workforce. […]
Over 1 Million Households Enroll in Emergency Broadband Benefit Program May 24, 2021 | 3:44 pm In the first week of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, over one million households enrolled to benefit from the subsidy program, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. […]
USAF’s ABMS Ready to Move to Next Stage of Development May 24, 2021 | 2:45 pm The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is ready to take the next step with its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), after saying the program successfully met “ambitious” key benchmarks. […]
House Bill Would Boost DoE Supercomputing Capabilities May 24, 2021 | 1:05 pm Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., introduced a bill May 18 that aims to accelerate the advancement of supercomputing programs at the Department of Energy (DoE). […]
Federal Agencies Ramping AI Pilots, Leaning Into Efforts at the Network’s Edge May 24, 2021 | 12:31 pm Federal agencies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced technology solutions, but face challenges operationalizing AI on larger scales at the agency level. […]
If You’re Not Vaccinated, Swipe Left May 24, 2021 | 11:48 am According to the White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials, dating sites like Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo are adding features that are meant to encourage vaccinations. […]
Polling Backs Need for More Federal Cybersecurity Investments, Threat Sharing May 21, 2021 | 3:08 pm Following a string of high-profile cyber attacks against private sector and government organizations over the past several months, more than half of Americans surveyed by The Harris Poll believe further cybersecurity investments are essential to combat the threat, and that the Federal government, the military, and the private sector should share cyber threat and attack data to help in the fight. […]
Federal Agencies Focusing on Increasing Accessibility to Data and Upskilling Workforce May 21, 2021 | 2:40 pm Data has become integral to Federal agencies and their decision-making process, and Federal officials are increasingly finding ways to upskill their workforce to help, officials said May 13. […]
VA Shows Progress on GAO Recs, Gets New IT/Cyber Items Added to List May 21, 2021 | 12:04 pm The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has outlined 28 priority open recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in a new report, which include items involving information technology and timely COVID-19 data collection. […]
DoD Official Updates Innovation Work, Says Report Due in August May 20, 2021 | 4:33 pm The Defense Department (DoD) is working to foster innovation in the information technology space, and is due to report findings of an assessment of its research engineering workforce later this year, a DoD official told members of Congress today. […]
House Members Concerned About VA Cybersecurity Strategies May 20, 2021 | 4:18 pm Several House members expressed concern today over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) approach to managing cyber risks and the agency’s cybersecurity strategies, while the agency’s chief information security officer countered that VA cyber programs are on par with those at work in other Federal agencies. “VA prides itself as being the nation’s largest integrated […]