Cybersecurity

VA sees sharp uptick in cyberattacks

The top tech official at Veterans Affairs said the department risks being "overwhelmed" if the number of attacks continues to increase.

Acquisition

Overcoming fear of the inspector general

Kymm McCabe warns that overly aggressive oversight is costing a fortune and killing off needed communication.

Cybersecurity

Agencies seek at least $75 million in digital service funding

Most CFO Act agencies have made budget requests to fund Digital Services teams.

Digital Government

Pentagon official: DoD-VA info sharing improving, but work remains

Real time data transactions between the VA and Pentagon are growing, and have expanded to include the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Acquisition

Warren: VISTA is here to stay

The pending move by DoD to a system based on a commercial health record system won't alter the data sharing relationship with VA, says the acting CIO.

People

Obama taps private sector exec to lead IT at VA

Laverne Horton Council will take over for Steph Warren, who has held the top IT job at VA on an acting basis for two years.

Modernization

VA misused $92.5 million on software, IG says

Money was used from non-IT accounts to pay for the Health Care Claims Processing System.

Cybersecurity

Cyber gets a boost in VA budget request

The department is seeking an increase in information security spending from $156 million in 2015 to $180.3 million for 2016.

Acquisition

VISTA-based solution eliminated from DoD health record procurement

VA CIO Steph Warren was "disappointed" that a VISTA solution would not prevail at the Pentagon.

Cybersecurity

How Congress can make cyber reforms real

Congressional oversight is essential to ensuring compliance with cybersecurity legislation. Here are three ways lawmakers can improve that oversight.

Acquisition

Air Force moves to debar FedBid

The action was sparked by a 2014 Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general investigation.

Cybersecurity

Mixed messages for VA IT

A report from Mandiant offers an upbeat assessment, but an IG report is critical of IT project management.

Acquisition

Google joins PwC's Vista-based bid for military health records

Google's addition doesn't alter PwC's offering, but its web-based private cloud and collaboration tools could improve security and speed and lower costs, the company says.

Cybersecurity

Unsecured webpage put 7,000 vets at risk for years

The website flaw has been fixed, but the VA is planning further investigation of possible exfiltration of data from its network.

Digital Government

Inside the quest to prevent suicides through better data

FCW investigated efforts by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to improve a joint data repository on military and veteran suicides. Something as impersonal and mundane as incomplete datasets could be exacerbating a national tragedy.

People

Marina Martin: Building a new digital service at VA

In an interview with FCW, the Department of Veterans Affairs' chief technology officer talks about overhauling the digital experience for VA customers.

People

What the USDS team is up to

As the U.S. Digital Service gets going, it is focused on HealthCare.gov, VA technology and hiring.