Acquisition

HPC boosters back FITARA exemption for national labs

At a Capitol Hill conference, high-performance computer operators and vendors said the powerful machines should not be categorized as garden-variety IT for the purposes of procurement.

Modernization

Protecting physical infrastructure with cyber

DHS' Suzanne Spaulding stresses that, in order to protect the physical infrastructure on which our nation depends, government and private sector alike must bolster cybersecurity.

Acquisition

National labs' FITARA exemption nixed in Senate funding bill

The Senate bill appropriating fiscal 2017 funds for the Energy Department does not renew a controversial provision that exempted the national labs from Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act rules.

Cybersecurity

FDA's cyber guidance gets key congressman's support

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) is backing the Food and Drug Administration's proposed cybersecurity guidance for medical device manufacturers.

Digital Government

Candidate to head Library of Congress pledges modernization

President Obama's choice to lead the Library of Congress told lawmakers that she planned to lead a technological transformation of the institution.

Digital Government

Senate confirms VA watchdog

Attorney Michael Missal will join the Department of Veterans Affairs as inspector general. The agency had spent more than two years without a Senate-confirmed watchdog before Missal got the nod from the U.S. Senate on April 19.

Digital Government

Can federal agencies hit their Data Act deadlines?

Agencies have a May 2017 deadline to get their financial data online in standardized form. According to officials charged with implementing the law, it's unclear if everyone is going to make it.

Digital Government

Puerto Rico tabbed as proving ground for 2020 Census tech

Puerto Rico will be a 2017 testing site for new tech in the lead-up to the 2020 Census.

Digital Government

Census takes on non-respondents with tech

The Census Bureau has until September 2016 to make key decisions on how to follow up with non-respondents in the 2020 population count.

People

Why USAJobs needs an overhaul

A Senate roundtable examined the deficiencies of the USAJobs website and offered solutions to modernize the federal government's HR front door.

Modernization

Marine Corps to expedite Windows 10 upgrade

The Marine Corps Systems Command is expediting its timeline to deploy the Windows 10 operating system by January 2017.

Cybersecurity

How should the Pentagon confront civil cyber emergencies?

Defense Department has plans for cooperating with civil authorities for myriad security situations, but lacks specific guidance when it comes to cyber incidents according to a government watchdog.

Cybersecurity

What agency security chiefs want from the federal CISO

Security leaders said the upcoming federal CISO should be willing to collaborate, build on the ideas they've been brewing and give them greater influence in federal circles.

Cybersecurity

Watchdog: TSA needs to improve IT controls

An Inspector General audit identified three IT controls deficiencies within the Transportation Security Administration, which potentially compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the agency’s financial and operational data.

Digital Government

SEC raises the ante on data transparency

The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to machine readable data to conduct risk assessment.

Digital Government

GAO calls for improved security for HealthCare.Gov

The nonpartisan Capitol Hill watchdog greeted the sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act with a bracing dose of oversight about the security weaknesses of HealthCare.Gov.

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.

Cybersecurity

DOJ charges three Syrian Electronic Army hackers

Three current or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army were charged with myriad computer hacking conspiracies, and the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to their arrest, according to court documents unsealed March 22.

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.

Digital Government

Why one government agency seems less than thrilled about Census modernization

The Census Bureau's ambitious modernization plan aims to save $5 billion, but the Postal Service appears worried about losing revenue from delivering fewer paper questionnaires.