Ideas
How can Congress regulate AI? Erect guardrails, ensure accountability and address monopolistic power
Is a new federal agency necessary to regulate AI? Maybe.
Cybersecurity
Unmonitored networks put US nuclear arsenal at risk, GAO finds
A Government Accountability Office report found that the Energy Department cannot effectively monitor potential insider threats to U.S. nuclear security because department staff “have not identified the total number of DOE’s stand-alone classified networks.”
Cybersecurity
GAO identifies new infosec deficiencies in IRS system controls
The watchdog's annual audit of the agency turned up new recommendations on system access controls and security configurations, alongside a limited release report and previous recommendations.
Digital Government
10 Vendors Receive Over Half of VA's IT Contracts, Drawing Lawmaker Concern
A Government Accountability Office representative told House lawmakers that Veterans Affairs’ IT obligations have been “increasingly concentrated with a small group of vendors.”
Modernization
VA Lacks Goals to Assess Satisfaction With New EHR, Watchdog Finds
The report from the Government Accountability Office found that the absence of such goals has limited the agency’s ability to “objectively measure progress toward improving EHRM users’ satisfaction.”
Emerging Tech
Cost and Schedule Overruns Plague NASA's Electrified Flight Efforts, IG Finds
The agency’s Inspector General noted that, despite progress made in advancing electrified aircraft propulsion system technology, NASA is experiencing cost and scheduling challenges that it should address.
People
EEOC alerts employers to AI discrimination risks
The agency explains how existing civil rights protections apply to artificial intelligence applications in the workplace.
Cybersecurity
‘Continuing Significant Deficiencies’ Hamper VA’s Information Security Controls, Audit Finds
An audit released by the VA Office of Inspector General found that the department “needs to implement improved controls” to address persistent gaps in its information security program.
Digital Government
OSTP Only Tackled 1 of 8 High Risk Recommendations in Past Year, Watchdog Finds
The Office of Science and Technology Policy has seven high-risk open recommendations to address, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
Cybersecurity
Transportation Needs to Improve Cyber Policy Implementation, Watchdog Finds
The Department of Transportation should better implement its policies for established cyber roles, including improving training and role expectations, according to a recent GAO report.
Modernization
2 Agencies Still Behind on Years-Old Legacy IT Recommendations, Watchdog Finds
Despite some agencies making significant progress, the Transportation Department and the Office of Personnel Management have not fully implemented the watchdog’s prior recommendations.
Artificial Intelligence
NASA Still Lacks a Unified Definition of AI, Watchdog Finds
The agency has made progress on artificial intelligence management, but still has work to do to meet governmentwide requirements.
Digital Government
GSA’s Pilot Transactional Data is ‘Inaccurate and Unusable’, Watchdog Says
According to the agency’s Inspector General, GSA performed an inaccurate evaluation of the program when it deemed TDR a success, but in actuality, the data is unusable.
Cybersecurity
DHS Procurement Cyber Reporting Requirement Needs Clarifying, Watchdog Finds
The Government Accountability Office noted that several major acquisition programs at DHS didn’t think the requirement applied to them.
Emerging Tech
Senator Calls for Cybersecurity Audit of Law Enforcement Wireless Network
FirstNet is a cellular network built for first responders around the country, but at least one federal official told the senator’s office they had “no confidence” in the network’s security.
Digital Government
Space Force Has a Major Satellite Oversight Problem, GAO Says
The government’s network of land-based satellite antennas is facing growing usage demands, but Space Force has not updated the system’s support operations plan since it took over control of the program in 2019.
Modernization
VHA's $8.5M Emergency Comms System Largely Inoperable, OIG Finds
An audit conducted by VA’s Office of Inspector General found that an estimated 80% of the emergency communications systems deployed at 184 VA medical facilities are “not fully operational.”
Defense
Pentagon lags on software buying reforms, GAO says
A GAO report has found that DOD has yet to implement several recommendations from advisory boards towards achieving its modernization goals.
Emerging Tech
Labor Dept. Watchdog Urges 'Extreme Caution' on Facial Recognition
Since the start of the pandemic and an upswing in fraudulent claims in the jobless aid systems, the use of facial recognition in identity checks has spread across states, raising OIG concerns about access and privacy.
Modernization