FCW Insider: May 28, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Army wants teleworkers to switch off smart IoT devices
The Army announced it would require all military, civilian, and contractors to rid their telework environments of internet of things devices, such as smart TVs and speakers.
After Colonial attack, TSA issues new cyber regs for pipelines
DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas cited the attack on Colonial Pipeline as the impetus for the new regulations.
CMMC assessor training expected in late summer
The professional training needed to carry out assessments for the Defense Department's unified cybersecurity standard for contractors won't kick off until later this summer.
Tech can help, but clearance reciprocity is a policy issue
The backlog of security clearance investigations has continued to drop from a 2018 high of 725,000 to 200,000, but agencies continue to struggle with reciprocity issues.
Quick Hits
*** Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said on Thursday during a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing that he plans to put a hold on the nominations of three senior Department of Homeland Security officials citing frustrations with the White House's approach to handling immigration at the southern border. Scott said he will hold the nominations for deputy secretary, undersecretary for strategy, policy and plans, and general counsel until President Joe Biden visits the southern border. Scott added that the hold is unrelated to the nominees themselves, saying he believes they are qualified.
*** At a May 27 press conference, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said there was no nominee for the agency's CIO – a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position – but that he was "really impressed by the caliber of the professionals that have applied for the job," and said he hoped a candidate could be named in the "next several weeks."
*** The new "emerging large business" category included in the newly released CIO-SP4 IT services contract vehicle from the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center has some observer scratching their heads, Washington Technology reports.