FCW Insider: May 19

DOD taps Alliant 2 for AI

The Defense Department used one of the General Services Administration's government wide contracts to get AI for future warfighting capabilities. Mark Rockwell has more.

CDC, IRS and other federal sites spoofed in global phishing scams

New research from Proofpoint has identified numerous phishing email campaigns over the past two months, some of which impersonated and spoofed websites from federal agencies, international governments and public health organizations involved in COVID-19 relief. Derek B. Johnson explains.

Best practices for agency implementation of CDM

A seasoned practitioner has some advice on how agencies can optimize their implementations of CDM tools, policies and processes.

Quick Hits

*** Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation to expedite the process for hiring staff to join the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, which oversees the trillions of federal dollars being doled out for COVID-19 recovery.

The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Expedited Hiring Authority Act would allow volunteers from other government agencies to be considered for hiring and remove penalties for hiring retired civil servants who are collecting a government pension.

"Congress’s job is not only to provide the necessary resources to respond to and recover from the COVID pandemic, but also to make sure federal funding is being spent properly and effectively," Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said in a statement.

*** The Department of Homeland Security plans to upgrade a key data collection point in a chemical plant security tool as a part of its effort to hone its oversight of cybersecurity at the facilities. In response to a Government Accountability Office audit of DHS’ oversight of high-risk chemical facilities, the agency said it plans to issue a new contract to develop better search capabilities within its Chemical Security Assessment Tool to oversee chemical companies' cybersecurity systems.