Cybersecurity
State Department Facing 'Significant' Information Security Issues, OIG Says
Information security and management was one of seven major management and performance issues the State Department faced in fiscal year 2020.
Cybersecurity
Watchdog Highlights Need for Better Cyber Coordination Across Government
A pair of reports point to confusion about the State Department’s new cyber bureau and the vacuum left behind by the eliminated White House cyber coordinator position.
Cybersecurity
Managers Who Stay Connected to Remote Employees Could Reduce Insider Threats, State Official Says
Pandemic-related stress and isolation could push some employees over the edge.
Emerging Tech
State Department Brings Financing Partners to Help Fund Huawei Alternatives
The State Department is working with financial institutions to help close deals for Western technology providers around the globe, an official says.
Digital Government
Bill Would Push State Department to Clear Passport Backlog
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the backlog of Americans waiting for passports has ballooned to at least 1.4 million people.
Cybersecurity
China is Dumping Fiber Optic Cables in the Global Market, Commerce Official Says
The cables are key to the development of fifth-generation networks, and therefore a matter of national security for the Trump administration.
Digital Government
State Department Harnesses Data to Help Bring Americans Home Safely During the Pandemic
The agency turned to data-focused teams and products to help decision-makers prioritize options.
Podcasts
Critical Update: How State Department IT Was Set Up to Deal with COVID-19
State Department CIO Stuart McGuigan joins Critical Update to talk about his vision for the agency and how the department’s decentralized nature made for an easy transition to mass telework.
Cybersecurity
Federal Officials: Tackling the ‘Most Insidious’ Cyber Threat Takes Looking After Workers
Insider threat is seen as the primary attack vector for intellectual property theft and was reportedly on the rise last year.
Cybersecurity
President’s Budget Would Axe NIST Program Meant to Help Small Businesses with Cybersecurity
Other agencies and departments would receive significant funding increases for cyber.
Ideas
Encryption and a New Paradigm for Security’s Data-Centric Future
ITAR’s new encryption carve-out paves the way for secure and private collaboration.
Ideas
Britain and America Have a China Problem
London’s and Washington’s differing assessments of Beijing’s rise point to deeper issues between the two countries.
Modernization
State Department CIO’s Plan to Reengineer Agency’s IT Process
The shift to cloud computing and agile development hit the State Department’s “sweet spot,” says CIO Stuart McGuigan.
Cybersecurity
Another Poor Cybersecurity Audit at State Department Draws Scrutiny
Auditors have been reporting weaknesses in IT security controls for over a decade.
Digital Government
Industry Association Calls on Government to Better Protect U.S. Contractors Working Overseas
Letter to Defense and State departments follows recent U.S. contractor deaths in Kenya and Iraq.
Modernization
State Wants to Recruit More Young, Diverse IT Pros
The Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship Program would offer 15 students mentoring, financial aid and guaranteed employment.
Emerging Tech
Agencies Work to Embrace—and Secure—the Internet of Things
Inside officials shared their lessons learned and concerns around the evolving connectivity.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Urge State Department to Warn American Travelers about Chinese Surveillance
Sens. Marco Rubio and Ron Wyden want travelers to know of tracking threats abroad.
Digital Government
Immigration Officials Use Secretive Gang Databases to Deny Migrant Asylum Claims
Legal experts and human rights advocates say they were not told about the databases and question their reliability.
Cybersecurity
Top Cyber Diplomat Says U.S. Needs Allies’ Help to Punish Cyberattacks
Creating a unified international response around online attacks will help “establish the legitimacy” of norms for cyberspace, says Rob Strayer.
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