FCW Insider: June 22, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
CISA still in the dark about agency network defense plans
In the wake of the SolarWinds campaign, the agency in charge of federal agency cyber defense acknowledges some gaps in both its data collection and network monitoring capabilities.
TMF board scales up
The deputy federal CIO said on Monday that the Technology Modernization Board has received numerous "large-scale modernization, cybersecurity projects" from the entire federal landscape after relaxing payback requirements.
Pentagon is 'actively' weighing JEDI options, Hicks says
Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary, said DOD is "very actively looking at our options" to fulfill the enterprise cloud needs and with a strategic decision "in the next month."
Next time you want to curse out the media, remember this
Steve Kelman puts his occasional frustrations with stories on the federal government in perspective.
Quick Hits
*** Lawmakers in the House and Senate teamed up across party lines to introduce a bill that would institute a warrant requirement for federal, state and local authorities to use cell site simulators, popularly known as stingrays, to track location and device data on individuals. The Cell-Site Simulator Warrant Act of 2021 is sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.)
*** The Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Labor is pressing the agency's unemployment insurance component to change its policies for when state workforce agencies are required to share information with the IG. Current policies limit mandatory sharing to instances when the IG is investigating a particular case of suspected fraud, according to a June 21 memo. This limits the IG's ability to do audits and investigations, the memo says. In 2020, the watchdog office had to issue subpoenas to each state workforce agency on two separate occasions for its work.