FCW Insider: September 8, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
White House hits the gas on zero trust
Newly released strategy and technical guidance documents covering zero trust and cloud security are open for comment as part of a federal push to improve federal government cybersecurity.
Feds get more guidance on COVID vaccination, testing
The Biden administration is eyeing booster shots for some Americans, but for its vaccination and testing program for federal employees, those who are two weeks out from a completed vaccination are considered covered without a booster shot, for now.
GSA names Raylene Yung as next TMF executive director
In her new role, Yung will help federal agencies with critical IT and cybersecurity investments through the Technology Modernization Fund.
Comment: Leveraging OSCAL for FedRAMP authorizations
An automated FedRAMP review process will speed up authorizations, drive continuous improvement and put cloud service providers in the driver's seat.
Quick Hits
*** The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the issuance of U.S. passports by the State Department, according to a new oversight report. The State Department's Office of Inspector General reported on Tuesday that new passport issuances fell to a record low of just over 13,000 in May 2020, down from nearly 1.7 million new passports in May 2019. Among multiple agency issues, the report found that delays, lack of coordination and a lack of agility in two major IT modernization projects on systems at State's Bureau of Consular Affairs prevented the shifting of any of its passport operations to telework.
*** The National Academy of Public Administration announced the launch of the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships on Tuesday. The new Center is designed to help foster cooperation across different levels of government, and will initially focus on coordination challenges posed by the rapid ramp-up of federal funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.