Cybersecurity

The Department of Cyber?

As some nations unify their cybersecurity operations, there are calls for a similar effort to create a single agency for civilian cyber authorities in the U.S.

People

Does the Vacancies Act really matter?

The law is supposed to prevent acting officials taking on Senate-confirmed roles indefinitely, but the statutory language is vague and enforcement is uneven.

Cybersecurity

CBP to consolidate IT offices

CBP plans to move almost 4,000 IT workers around the capital region to a single facility in Loudoun County.

People

Navy axes CIO office in reorg

Navy Undersecretary Thomas Modly announced his new role as Navy CIO, collapsing the previous office that oversaw IT guidance for the Marine Corps and Navy.

Digital Government

IT, workforce, customer service central to President's Management Agenda

The just-released President's Management Agenda focuses on IT modernization, reshaping the federal workforce and the reorganization of government.

Cybersecurity

NPPD taps vendor for No. 2 role

The National Protection and Programs Directorate, the cybersecurity arm for the Department of Homeland Security, has tapped Matthew Travis as deputy undersecretary

People

OMB addresses 'overlap' in tech offices

The government's top management official explained how the federal CIO and the Office of American innovation can work together.

Modernization

Service heads quiet on DOD cloud plan

At a D.C. defense policy event, the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force skirted the issue of the Pentagon's centralized cloud procurement strategy.

People

GAO: SSA chief has been 'acting' too long

For the first time, an acting senior official elevated under the Trump administration has been cited for holding down a political job longer than allowed under the Vacancies Act.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers lose patience with NBIB over clearance backlog

Senators expressed deep frustration about the government's lack of progress reducing the backlog of 700,000 pending security clearance requests, with some threatening to overhaul the process completely.

People

OPM puts agencies on notice about hiring politicals for civil service jobs

The federal government's HR agency put up a caution flag about hiring former political appointees for career jobs, as Congress weighs in on the practice of current politicals "burrowing in" to the civil service.

Acquisition

Senate panel approves DHS authorization

A Senate panel voted up a DHS authorization bill, but it stripped out provisions to focus the agency on improving election system cybersecurity capabilities.

Acquisition

Can Census staff up for 2020?

With the decennial count looming, a watchdog report finds problems with how the Census Bureau handles background checks of temporary employees.

Cybersecurity

Senators press DNI on Russian interference, cyber

Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee continue to press the administration for a cyber warfare doctrine and action on Russian election interference.

People

How can agencies focus on the workforce during reorgs?

The Trump administration faces the challenge of trying to improve federal employee engagement amid plans to reduce overall headcount at many civilian agencies.

Cybersecurity

Federal networks susceptible to router hacks, DHS says

A newly released report and binding operational directive dating back to 2016 reveals alarm from DHS about network infrastructure security.

People

FBI taps veteran agent to head IT shop

The FBI named John S. Adams to serve as the executive assistant director of its Information and Technology Branch.

Cybersecurity

CBP closes in on completing 17-year multibillion IT project

Customs and Border Protection is nearing the end of development of one of the most complex IT systems in the federal government.

Cybersecurity

IG to investigate FEMA IT management

DHS' internal watchdog is planning to dig into FEMA's IT management practices, due to concerns it was misled by FEMA leadership about progress on IT management goals.

People

Raj Shah exits DIUx

After almost two years at the helm of the Pentagon's innovation shop, Raj Shah is returning to the private sector.