People

Lawmakers seek to keep tabs on politicking by feds

Leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee want details on federal employees' political activities during this contentious election season.

Digital Government

CMS seeks new CTO

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is looking a new CTO, a job that involves taking a leadership role on the HealthCare.gov website.

Modernization

Agencies see a long and expensive path to the cloud

Officials at the Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Marine Corps stressed the importance of modernizing legacy systems, but warned that the cloud does not come easy or cheap.

Modernization

Move over, ITMF?

The MOVE IT Act, which takes a different approach to funding IT modernization that the administration has proposed, may have a better chance of clearing Congress.

Modernization

New bill calls for agency-specific IT modernization funds

A new bill, which would empower agencies to reprogram funds and bank their own savings, could be an easier sell to appropriators than the White House's plan for a $3.1 billion governmentwide fund.

Digital Government

On Capitol Hill, concerns remain about DOD-VA interoperability

Senate appropriators grilled top VA officials about whether the military and Veterans Affairs electronic health records systems are cooperating.

People

White House would veto email blocking bill

The House passed a bill that would give agencies authority to block employee access to webmail, but the White House is pledging a veto.

Digital Government

Questions loom about the future of open source at VA

With pressure from Congress to abandon the Vista health record system, Veterans Affairs CIO LaVerne Council is facing tough questions about the future of open source at the agency.

Digital Government

Can ISIS be stopped online?

Experts tell lawmakers that alternative approaches are needed -- including a less-visible government footprint.

Digital Government

VA's digital health platform not dependent on VistA

The Department of Veterans Affairs' under secretary for health told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the future of the agency's health IT is not linked to maintaining the home-grown health records system VistA.

Modernization

VA secretary presses Congress on funding for modernization

Robert McDonald said his agency can be modernized but not without the help of Congress.

Cybersecurity

Obama taps former spy as CIA watchdog

After 16 months without a Senate-confirmed leader, the CIA has a nominee to head its Office of Inspector General.

Cybersecurity

VA taps UL for medical device cybersecurity

Testing and science firm UL will help the VA with a plan to protect connected medical IT from cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity

Brennan warns on encryption

In public testimony, CIA Director John Brennan cautioned lawmakers on how terrorists and other malefactors are taking advantage of commercial encryption tools.

Modernization

Hill leaders look to block upgrade in Russian surveillance gear

Russia is seeking to upgrade the digital camera it uses in U.S. surveillance flyovers permitted under the Open Skies Treaty, but some in Congress are hoping to block the move.

Cybersecurity

Committee advances bill to expand NPPD as cybersecurity agency

A House panel is backing a bid to rebrand and expand the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security as a separate agency.

Digital Government

Lawmakers probe FDIC response to cyber event

Republicans on the House Science Committee are asking the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for more details on the agency's response to a long-time information leak.

Cybersecurity

Email privacy update stalls in Senate

A move to update a 1986 law covering law enforcement access to email is frozen in the Senate over a security amendment dubbed a "poison pill" by the bill's sponsor.

Digital Government

For feds, the real-life perils of social media

The State Department trains its workers to avoid social media fails that could potentially be fatal.

Acquisition

How agencies seek to shape the acquisition process

Revamping the federal acquisition process requires innovation and a creative approach to break with the way things have been done and appeal to the incoming workforce.