Modernization

White House pushes Congress to pass $3.1B IT modernization fund

The White House is preparing to send Congress more details on its plan for a revolving $3.1 billion IT modernization fund after the House Budget Committee failed to include the measure in the 2017 budget resolution.

Digital Government

CIOs: don't take the free movie tickets

Ethics violations could await agency leaders who see the movie on a vendor's dime.

Modernization

Audit finds improprieties in GSA/Peace Corps cloud email pilot

A deal between the General Services Administration and the Peace Corps to provide cloud email might have run afoul of funding laws, according to GSA's inspector general.

Digital Government

F-35 software fixes on the way, program officer tells Congress

A senior defense official told lawmakers that a fix for a software glitch with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet will be tested next week, but delays arising from problems are inevitable.

Modernization

Halvorsen not satisfied with data center savings

DOD is "taking steps to aggressively drive more savings" than the projected $1.8 billion through fiscal 2018, DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen told lawmakers March 22.

Cybersecurity

FISMA report shows pain, few gains

While the federal government made tangible progress last year, OMB’s annual report card detailed plenty of weaknesses and room for improvement.

Digital Government

Watchdogs glean IT lessons from HealthCare.Gov failures

Representatives from GAO and HHS' Office of the Inspector General examine the failures, successes and takeaways from the first five years of Affordable Care Act implementation and technology.

Cybersecurity

Carter touts cyber capabilities at budget hearing

At a March 17 Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing, legislators wanted to know if investments in IT innovation are enough to face potential threats from Russia and China.

Modernization

D.C.-area first responders need a clearer path on comms

A GAO report says the group responsible for security in National Capital Region needs better coordination on making emergency communications interoperable.

Digital Government

House panel presses VA CIO about info security

LaVerne Council, the top tech official at the Department of Veterans Affairs, updated lawmakers on cyber challenges facing the agency.

Cybersecurity

DHS edging off GAO's high risk list

DHS has made significant progress towards solving the management issues that have kept it on the GAO's high risk list for years, but lawmakers look to ensure that progress continues.

Cybersecurity

Oversight Committee investigates DHS senior staff for improper email practices

A House panel is probing 29 DHS senior officials, including Secretary Jeh Johnson, for allegedly violating a department-wide ban on personal email access at work.

Cybersecurity

DHS OIG slams USCIS on immigration IT

DHS Inspector General John Roth took a hard line on USCIS's lagging immigration benefits processing system in an audit that covered an 11-year cycle of IT shortcomings and agency resistance to independent examinations.

Modernization

House passes bill to trim energy use at federal data centers

The Energy Efficient Government Technology Act would re-baseline data center efficiency standards and require OMB to coordinate with agencies on energy saving technology.

Cybersecurity

McCaul floats encryption commission to Silicon Valley

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, took a humble tack at RSA, saying that, "most members [of Congress] don’t understand what encryption is."

Modernization

GAO cites progress and challenges on FDCCI

GAO said agencies have made progress on data center consolidation but lamented that some of them lack savings goals.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers seek controls for access to geolocation data

The Department of Justice is resisting calls from some members of Congress to use warrants to access historical geolocation data.

Digital Government

Senators seek to foster governmentwide approach to IoT

A new bill would create a framework for discussing policy for the growing Internet of Things space.

Cybersecurity

Details emerge about planned digital security commission

A new bill would create a commission to probe and issue recommendations on how to walk the line between privacy and security when it comes to commercially available encryption and other technologies.