Cybersecurity

Agencies need to measure improvements to critical infrastructure cybersecurity, report says

Federal agencies tasked with critical infrastructure risk management aren't measuring improvements made by the adoption of new guidelines, according to a watchdog report.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers want the SEC to expand cyber regs

As the Securities and Exchange Commission rolls out a series of expanded cybersecurity proposals, a group of bipartisan senators are calling for updates to mandatory reporting requirements for public companies.

Modernization

New VA CIO talks digital transformation

Kurt DelBene told lawmakers on Wednesday how he plans to steer a department-wide digital transformation in his first public appearance since the Biden administration tapped him to serve as the VA's chief information officer.

Cybersecurity

CISA's public-private cyber defense group helped speed Log4j mitigation, experts say

A panel of cybersecurity pros testified that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's collaborative operational body helped speed up response times and provide critical real-time insights on the Log4J software vulnerabilities to a vast range of companies and federal agencies.

Policy

NIST gets reauthorization in $350 billion House tech bill

The National Institute of Standards and Technology receives expanded authorities and new funding in a massive legislative passage designed to ramp up U.S. semiconductor production and fund scientific research.

Cybersecurity

NSA rounds up the year in cyber

The National Security Agency's Cybersecurity Collaboration Center helped mitigate major vulnerabilities in 2021 while serving as a critical hub for industry and government officials to collaborate on cyber initiatives in an unclassified setting, according to a new report.

Acquisition

GSA, DOD seek clean electricity to meet emissions targets

The federal government's two top buyers of electricity are exploring ways to procure carbon-pollution free electricity to meet the demands of a Biden administration executive order.

Modernization

TMF board member says the fund can't do everything

The Small Business Administration's chief technology officer said the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) cannot help every federal agency achieve their modernization objectives despite a $1 billion plus-up for the fund included in the American Rescue Plan Act.

Defense

Paying for the shift to zero trust

The National Security Agency has been working with the Pentagon's CIO to understand how agencies might be able to fund their journeys to zero trust.

Cybersecurity

IG report points to weaknesses in the Commerce Department's infosec program

The Commerce Department has routinely failed to implement crucial security assessment measures and an effective continuous monitoring program, according to a new Inspector General report published this week.

Cybersecurity

White House starts the clock on zero trust adoption

Agencies will have to meet specific zero trust security requirements by the end of fiscal year 2024 under a new policy memo, including updates to identity policies that will affect how federal employees access systems and applications.

Cybersecurity

CISA preps update to the zero trust maturity model

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will update its zero trust maturity model to assist agencies in meeting goals outlined in the cybersecurity executive order released last year, an official said Tuesday.

Cybersecurity

Ransomware to overtake phishing as top cause for data compromises, report says

A new report says 2021 set a record for data breaches, but increasingly notifications to victims and authorities often lack transparency, hindering investigations.

Digital Government

Citizen satisfaction with federal government services hits all-time low

The American Customer Satisfaction Index 2021 Federal Government Report showed citizen satisfaction in government services in a freefall over the last four years, with declines across all driving indicators of satisfaction.

Policy

Citizen Satisfaction With Federal Government Services Hits All-time Low

The American Customer Satisfaction Index 2021 Federal Government Report showed citizen satisfaction in government services in a freefall over the last four years, with declines across all driving indicators of satisfaction.

Modernization

Data management's role in sustaining digital transformation

As agencies move from the research to implementation phase of their digital transformations, federal data experts say intelligent data management is crucial to better leverage and protect critical data.

Modernization

Agencies lag on telecom transition in latest FITARA scorecard

At a House hearing, lawmakers, federal officials and stakeholders called for improved metrics to grade compliance with the Federal IT Technology Reform Act.

People

Former DHS acting IG pleads guilty in software scheme

A former acting top watchdog at the Department of Homeland Security pleaded guilty in a scheme to steal case management software from multiple federal agencies in order to create a new system to sell back to the government.

Cybersecurity

Is there a path forward in Congress for mandatory cyber incident reporting?

A group of lawmakers is seeking legislation that would require private companies to report cyber incidents and ransomware attacks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, despite their efforts being derailed late last year.

Modernization

SBA faces fraud risks and IT security woes, IG says

The Small Business Administration has struggled to cope with an onslaught of potentially fraudulent activity within its direct lending programs spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Inspector General Hannibal Ware testified to the House Small Business Committee.