FCW Insider: Dec 21

Lawmakers press Trump to sign NDAA in the wake of massive hack

The annual defense bill includes a section on cybersecurity based on recommendations from the Solarium Commission.

COVID premium pay varies across Veterans Affairs

The lack of national direction from the Department of Veterans Affairs on issuance of pandemic "premium pay" has left regional VA networks and local facilities to decide which employees get additional pay for working on the front lines of the pandemic -- and how much.

Court denies Perspecta's NGEN protest

Perspecta has held the Next General Enterprise Network contract for 20 years, dating back to when one of its legacy business in EDS won the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet contract in 2000.

GAO tracks diversity in the intelligence community

Although steps have been taken to address workforce diversity, a recent report underscored gaps in strategic planning among intelligence community elements.

Quick Hits

*** The House and Senate agreed to terms on a $900 billion coronavirus relief package over the weekend. The relief package is expected to be included in the $1.4 trillion omnibus appropriations bill, which will be put up for votes on Monday. In the meantime, the House passed a one-day stopgap funding bill to prevent a shutdown at midnight by a vote of 329-65. The Senate passed the bill without opposition under a unanimous consent motion and it was signed into law

*** The team of acting officials in power at the Pentagon are pushing a proposal to end the dual-hat arrangement of having a single commander in charge of the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command. Currently Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone occupies both posts. The move requires that the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff first certify that certain conditions laid out by Congress have been met in terms of the infrastructure of Cyber Command and the training and readiness of forces.

*** President Donald Trump disputed the attribution of the SolarWinds hack and subsequent intrusion into U.S. government networks to Russia.

"The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "I have been fully briefed and everything is well under control. Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of....discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!)."

The tweet followed a statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attributing the hack to Russia.