Modernization

Watchdog: IT Troubles Limited FEMA’s Response to 2017 Hurricanes, Wildfires

The flaws, some of which date back more than a decade, left first responders scrambling to gather, share and access critical information.

Cybersecurity

DHS: App Vetting Tools Are a Must-Have for Agencies, Despite Their Flaws 

There’s still no ideal way to integrate mobile security tools, but that shouldn’t stop agencies from using them, according to Homeland Security researchers.

Emerging Tech

CBP to Test Autonomous Drones for Use at the Border

The experimental project reached the fourth and final stage of development: testing in real-world environments.

Emerging Tech

TSA Launches Facial Recognition Pilot at Las Vegas Airport 

The agency will assess how the tech verifies travelers’ live facial images against pictures taken from travelers’ identity documents.

Cybersecurity

DHS Asks for Feedback on Vulnerability Disclosure Program

Officials plan to create a public form where security researchers can submit weaknesses they uncover in the agency’s IT infrastructure.

Digital Government

TSA Agents Say They’re Not Discriminating Against Black Women, But Their Body Scanners Might Be

The full-body scanners at airports across the country frequently give false alarms for Afros, braids, twists and other hairstyles popular among black women.

Digital Government

When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side

Transgender and gender nonconforming people say they have been pressured to expose their genitals during TSA searches at airports. The encounters stem from shortcomings in the agency’s technology and insufficient training of its staff.

Cybersecurity

CISA Chief Unveils Vision for Federal Cybersecurity

Civilian agencies shouldn’t all be forced to manage their own cyber risks, Chris Krebs said.

Modernization

CISA Awards GDIT a $325 Million Emergency Communications Contract

Under the contract, the company will support the systems federal leaders and others use to coordinate responses to during natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other crises.

Artificial Intelligence

Pilots, Bias Important Considerations Ahead of Deploying AI

Cloud technology makes piloting artificial intelligence efforts easier than ever, but hard decisions around bias need to be confronted.

Modernization

App Failure Led to Long Airport Lines In Third CBP System Crash In Three Years

Technicians were able to reboot the system in a matter of hours but the crash led to significant delays for travelers Friday.

Emerging Tech

DHS is Collecting Biometrics on Thousands of Refugees Who Will Never Enter the U.S.

Most refugees who apply for asylum in the U.S. never set foot in the country, but under an agreement with the United Nations, DHS and its partners can still build biometric profiles on them.

Cybersecurity

Agencies Faced 31,000 Cyber Incidents Last Year, But Gave Up No Major Breaches

The total number of incidents the government experienced last year dropped 12% from 2017, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

Cybersecurity

DHS Funds Research to Improve Software Security Analysis

The Science and Technology Directorate awarded a contract to standardize the process for evaluating static analysis tools, which agencies use to hunt for bugs in their IT systems.

Emerging Tech

CBP Plans to Use Facial Recognition For ‘All Passenger Applications’

The agency is ramping up its use of biometric identification technology as part of a broader effort to overhaul its traveler processing systems.

Cybersecurity

DHS Is Building A Contract To Manage All Its Cybersecurity Operations Centers

The single contract will likely have multiple awardees, each capable of managing the entirety of operations at each of the department’s 17 security centers.