Cybersecurity
IRS' Use of Special Hiring Authorities Could Be Leading to Skills Gaps, IG Says
The agency has been using emergency authorities to meet staffing goals, but may be compromising on the quality of new hires as a result, according to an inspector general report.
Acquisition
Security clearance demands are exploding and government must keep up
The federal government must evolve security clearance standards to reflect certain cultural realities while also looking to improve clearance reciprocity between agencies.
Digital Government
Many federal websites don't meet accessibility requirements, study finds
Out of 72 government websites studied, 30% didn't meet accessibility standards, according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Acquisition
DHS faces setbacks implementing CDM, watchdog says
The Department of Homeland Security has failed to address critical vulnerabilities across information technology assets due to significant delays in the department's rollout of a federal Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program.
Modernization
Lawmakers Want IGs to Include Telework Vulnerabilities in Upcoming FISMA Audits
House Oversight Committee leaders want to know what vulnerabilities remote-access software introduced and whether agencies mitigated them.
Cybersecurity
IG: CISA-Run Monitoring Program Has Not Improved DHS’ Cybersecurity Posture
The department’s inspector general also found vulnerabilities in the department’s technology due to poorly defined patch management roles and configuration settings.
Digital Government
Legacy tech hindered delivery of unemployment benefits during the pandemic, IG finds
States with modernized systems were able to stand up new programs faster than states that relied on legacy technology, according to a new report from the Labor Department's internal watchdog.
Digital Government
Legislation Would Expand IG Subpoena Power
The bill would allow inspectors general to compel former federal officials to provide testimony for investigations.
Cybersecurity
GAO to Explore the Government’s Role in Cybersecurity Insurance
The Treasury Department runs a program to insure the insurers, but there’s a limit to the backstop.
Acquisition
NASA looks to change course on cybersecurity with new contract
NASA's inspector general says the agency's "fragmented" IT approach has left it with an overly risky cybersecurity posture. Meanwhile the agency is preparing a solicitation for a wide-ranging cybersecurity management contract.
Acquisition
DOD oversight report tracks pandemic spending
A recent inspector general report looks at contractors who received COVID-19 reimbursement under a $1 billion allocation in the CARES Act
People
CDC mask guidelines and the federal workforce
The White House-led Safer Federal Workforce Task Force is incorporating recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates on COVID protocols into their guidance for agencies looking to accommodate vaccinated workers.
Acquisition
Is it time to test the limits -- and potential -- of expanding CMMC?
Calls for a certified baseline of cybersecurity seem to increase with every cyberattack. Is the CMMC model the right template for a universal and independently verifiable way to protect supply chains?
Cybersecurity
Can NTSB-style oversight work for cybersecurity?
President Joe Biden's new cybersecurity executive order calls for a safety review board to examine the attack against SolarWinds as well as other significant cybersecurity incidents moving forward.
Cybersecurity
Watchdog: 'Uncertainty' may undermine CBP's enforcement of social media policy
The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security found divisions among senior Customs and Border Protection officials about the agency's social media posting policies.
People
Watchdog report finds OPM didn't always alert employees of COVID cases
The Inspector General at the Office of Personnel Management found that the agency wasn't requiring mask-wearing and failed to notify employees of COVID cases during the height of the pandemic.
Acquisition
With Biden's equity agenda in play, experts talk about making procurement more inclusive
Government procurement practitioners discussed equity and procurement at the Code for America summit, as leaders across the federal enterprise look to measure and expand inclusiveness in public spending.
Emerging Tech
DOD Not Prioritizing Development of GPS Alternatives, GAO Says
Despite known vulnerabilities with GPS tech, the department treats developing other position, navigation and timing technologies as an “afterthought,” officials said.
Cybersecurity
TSA's role in pipeline security looks like a weak link to some in government and industry
Questions about whether TSA is rightly positioned to oversee cybersecurity for natural gas and oil pipelines are resurfacing in the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.
Digital Government