Modernization

Agencies Have Spent More Than $300M In Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak

Federal buyers spent more than $4.8 million on hand sanitizer alone in the last two months.

Policy

How the Federal Tech Community Is Coping With COVID-19

“The IT leaders in the federal community, our contractor partners and our vendors are stepping up in incredible ways,” Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent said.

Digital Government

GSA Warns of COVID-19 Contracting Scam and Price Gouging

After receiving reports of an imposter claiming to hold a GSA contract, officials are reminding agency buyers to verify vendor information.

Emerging Tech

Trump Administration Wants to Know What COVID-19 Tech From China Should Be Exempt From Tariffs

The administration has already lifted tariffs on 200 medical-care products from China in response to the coronavirus outbreak but wants to know what more is needed.

Cybersecurity

New Security Clearance Office Gets First Permanent Leader

The new program office is getting a permanent director nearly five months after shifting the background investigations process to the Defense Department.

Modernization

Thrift Savings Plan Wants Help Protecting Federal Employees’ Retirement From Outside Cyber Threats

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board is working on a contract to help protect $611 billion in savings for some 6 million current and former feds.

Policy

Trump Relaxes Patient Data Rules to Allow Doctors to Use Personal Phones for Telehealth

The administration broadened telehealth coverage to all Medicare beneficiaries and eased HIPAA regulations for the duration of the pandemic emergency.

Artificial Intelligence

Government Partnership Offers Cash Prizes for AI Tools That Support Coronavirus Research

A new open research database and artificial intelligence challenge will help the U.S. crowdsource its pandemic response.

Modernization

Federal Mortgage Buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Are Moving To Commercial Cloud

The government’s housing loan programs are going through major cloud migrations, and learning key lessons in the process.

Digital Government

Agencies Get Guidance on the Ethics and Rigor Required for Evidence-Based Decision-Making

The second of four policy documents related to the Evidence Act focuses on standards and practices for evaluation officers.

Digital Government

Agencies Post Opportunities for Reskilling Academy Grads to Use Their New Cyber Skills

Three agencies posted nine openings on the Open Opportunities site, offering temporary details to feds looking to sharpen newly acquired cybersecurity skills.

Digital Government

Federal Experts’ Tips for Effectively Managing Remote Teams

Whether permanent or as part of a contingency plan, teleworking requires a combination of culture changes and technology.

Digital Government

NIH Uses Urgent Award Vehicle for the First Time to Address Coronavirus Outbreak

The agency is tapping a never-before-used emergency award vehicle to acquire predictive models for how the COVID-19 will spread. 

Modernization

GAO: OMB’s Data Center Policy Puts Agencies’ Networks at Risk of Cyberattacks

The administration pushed back hard against the assertion, going so far as to request GAO remove cybersecurity from its latest report.

Emerging Tech

Pilot IRS to Return with New Focus Areas and Significantly More Funding

In the next three to six months, the IRS plans to issue new solicitations through its experimental contracting vehicle.

Modernization

Real Work on TIC 3 Begins After Draft Guidance Is Finalized, Says Lead Official

Agencies are piloting some potential additional use cases in the background, which the TIC program office plans to start digging into this summer.

Modernization

OMB to Agencies: Time to Finish IPv6 Transition

Before the end of fiscal 2021, agencies will need to have a plan in place to hit 80% IPv6-only systems by 2025.

Modernization

First Instance of VA’s New Electronic Health Record System Now Scheduled For July

VA officials said the initial deployment was delayed after clinicians asked to be trained on a full system instead of a minimum viable product.

Emerging Tech

Federal Regulators: Should Energy Companies Be Allowed to Use Cloud for Power Delivery?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission needs to understand the risks involved before enabling power companies to adopt cloud technologies.