FCW Insider: March 23, 2021

Court ruling adds to agencies' burden of proof for firing feds

The appeals court ruling changes decades of precedent to require agencies to justify the placement of an employee on a performance improvement plan in the event that they appeal their removal.

ATO ASAP: Streamlining government security with a Federal Compliance Library

With communal resource for commonly used components, agencies could devote more time to security postures that are truly unique.

CISA head: Group of SolarWinds victims is 'solidified'

Brandon Wales, the acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also said his agency is still working to determine if any federal networks were compromised by vulnerabilities discovered in Microsoft Exchange.

Does DOD have the leadership it needs on electromagnetic spectrum strategy?

Joseph Kirschbaum, the director of defense capabilities and management, for the Government Accountability Office, told Congress that having leadership buy-in is the difference between a successful strategy and a failed one.

Quick Hits

*** The Department of Labor unveiled a new website on Monday to help citizens report stolen unemployment benefits as both legitimate and fraudulent claims have surged over the past year. in the wake of twin surges in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and increasing legitimate need for the benefit over the past year.

Many victims might not know that their information has been used to claim benefits until they receive documents like state tax forms, but victim reports of fraud are a critical part of starting investigations, the agency said.

The website lists contacts for reporting fraud in each state, as well as information about unemployment insurance identity theft and how to report stolen benefits. DOL consulted state workforce agencies, other federal agencies and victims of unemployment insurance theft to put the website together, the agency said.

*** The Government Accountability Office is already urging the Census Bureau to evaluate lessons learned in the challenging 2020 enumeration and incorporate them into 2030 census planning. A new GAO report draws on surveys of all 248 census offices during 2020 count, as well as interviews with field supervisors involved in nonresponse follow-up and other operations that proved problematic.

*** The General Services Administration has added four more companies to its OASIS professional services contract vehicle, including at least two of them that had filed bid protests after not being included last September. Washington Technologyhas more.

*** Don’t miss FCW’s Telework Workshop tomorrow. This virtual event, which is free for all government and military personnel, will feature speakers from the Office of Personnel Management, NASA, the General Servcies Administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Air Force. Click here to see the full agenda and register to attend.