FCW Insider: July 31

GSA rolls out IT acquisition learning portal

The GSA's new IT acquisition portal offers a range of training on how to use and buy new technologies.

DOD 'on schedule' for August JEDI announcement

The Defense Department's CIO Dana Deasy said a re-announcement of the embattled cloud contract should come by the end of August.

IT modernization for the COVID era

Crises are clarifying events, and the pandemic is making clear the limits of IT systems built for a different era.

Senate bill seeks oversight of telework, PPE for the federal workforce

A group of Senate Democrats is proposing legislation to create labor-management task forces inside government to review pandemic-related workforce policies.

Hackers target teleworking feds

A senior General Services Administration acquisition official says emerging technology can help protect infrastructure and individual users defend against attacks.

Quick Hits

*** Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Merit Systems Protection Board for five years. Work at by the agency's board, which decides cases of wrongful termination and job discrimination brought by federal employees, has been stalled for more than a year by vacancies.

"The MSPB protects whistleblowers from retaliation, veterans from job discrimination, and federal employees from prohibited personnel practices. Congress must ensure that it can immediately restart operations," Connolly said in a statement.

*** For the first time, the European Union imposed sanctions to punish hackers deemed responsible for cyberattacks, including the NotPetya attack. The sanctions were levied by the Council of the EU against six individuals and three entities, according to a July 30 statement.