FCW Insider: July 30, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Biden tells civilian feds to get vaccinated or take regular COVID tests
As expected, the Biden-Harris administration rolled out new COVID-19 guidelines for the federal workforce as part of an overall strategy to increase the U.S. vaccination rate.
DHS recent hiring sprint shows promise, but lawmakers still see gaps in the federal cybersecurity workforce
The federal government continues to face challenges in recruiting a skilled cybersecurity workforce, amid heavy private sector demand and obstacles built into the hiring process, but there are some recent signs that longstanding efforts to improve the situation are starting to pay off.
Agencies have proposed more than $2B in TMF projects since new funding was approved
Federal CIO Clare Martorana told a House subcommittee that 108 project proposals have been submitted to the Technology Modernization Fund across 43 agencies, with 75% focusing on cybersecurity since the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Quick Hits
*** Chris Krebs, the former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security, is joining the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center as a senior fellow.
*** The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress released a slate of 20 recommendations to improve hiring, retention, compensation and accessibility for congressional staff. The recommendations of the committee include several tech measures including the adoption of human resources software to help congressional offices with hiring.