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.
Cybersecurity
IG: 700,000 taxpayer accounts could be compromised
The 2015 breach of the IRS' Get Transcript tool swept up far more taxpayer accounts than the IRS initially thought, an IG investigation has revealed.
Cybersecurity
Comey seeks $85M boost for FBI cyber
Most of that additional money will go toward buying better IT and providing cybersecurity training, Comey told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
Cybersecurity
DHS excoriated for mismanaged HR IT system
The Government Accountability Office warned that mismanagement has led to blown deadlines and wasted money in a Homeland Security effort to unify its human resources IT.
Cybersecurity
Can the FDA secure medical devices?
Regulators and industry face the daunting challenge of keeping medical devices online while protecting against cyberthreats.
Cybersecurity
Appropriators appear to back more cyber spending
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson sought to convince lawmakers about the need for more investment in cybersecurity.
People
OMB chief tries to sell appropriators on IT upgrades
OMB Director Shaun Donovan urged Congress to fund administration plans for modernizing federal IT and improving cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity
Lieu asks Comey to back off Apple court order
In a letter to the FBI director, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) argued that forcing Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's phone could have adverse Internet security consequences.
Digital Government