Digital Government

Does the CFAA apply to voting machine hacks?

Recent Department of Justice statements cast doubt around whether the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act would apply to hacked voting machines.

Cybersecurity

Focusing on the long tail of cybersecurity

DHS wants to use its new risk management center to buy down cybersecurity risks over the long term while leaving operational cyber incident response duties to the NCCIC.

Cybersecurity

Court case puts PRISM back in the spotlight

An appeals court heard arguments Aug. 22 on a case that has broad implications for digital privacy and the constitutionality of government surveillance authorities.

Cybersecurity

The IRS can do more with its fraud detection system

A GAO audit found that the tax agency's Return Review Program has made strides in recent years that can be applied to number of other enforcement activities.

Digital Government

Senate bill targets Chinese tech companies

Two senators want to make it the official policy of the United States to curb Chinese influence of the U.S. technology supply chain.

Digital Government

As foreign meddling mounts, DHS projects confidence in election system resilience

Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen said that by election day, 90 percent of registered voters will cast their ballot in areas with hardened election defenses.

Digital Government

Election security bill stalled in the Senate

A bid to advance a bipartisan election security bill out of committee is in limbo as pressure from states and voting tech vendors mounts.

Digital Government

Senators duel over audit requirements in election security bill

As an election security bill heads toward markup in the Senate, two of the original cosponsors are divided over whether the bill should mandate that post-election audits be done by hand.

Cybersecurity

Microsoft targets copycat influence websites

Microsoft went to court to take down websites it believes to be part of a foreign intelligence operation targeting conservative think tanks and the U.S. Senate.

Cybersecurity

The disinformation game

The federal government is poised to bring new tools and strategies to bear in the fight against foreign-backed online disinformation campaigns, but how and when they choose to act could have ramifications on the U.S. political ecosystem.

Digital Government

In Congress, election security proposals aim at 2020 cycle

Many of the proposals to fix election security would likely have limited effect in the short term.

Cybersecurity

Is Trump clearing the (policy) decks for cyberwar?

Reports that the Trump administration has rescinded an Obama-era directive guiding the use of offensive cyber operations has cybersecurity experts pondering what, if anything, has replaced it.

People

GAO presses OPM for better data on employee misconduct

A new report from the GAO flags multiple holes in the way OPM collects for employee misconduct. OPM thinks GAO doesn’t understand the law.

Digital Government

McCaskill sounds alarms over proposed IG budget cuts

The ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security committee is calling foul on budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration to a number of inspector general offices throughout the federal government.

Digital Government

4 House Intel members offer election security bill

A Senate proposal to secure the U.S. election system has a companion bill in the House and a prominent Republican co-sponsor.

Cybersecurity

NARA is doing great at email, website security. Maybe

An audit finds the National Archives and Records Administration is well on its way to complying with a DHS directive to boost email and website security, but the agency's measurements need improvement.

People

Dave Powner audits the state of federal IT

The GAO director of information technology issues is leaving government after 16 years. On his way out the door, Dave Powner details how far govtech has come in the past two decades and flags the most critical issues he sees facing federal IT leaders.

Cybersecurity

DHS' Mosley headed to FDIC

Sara Mosley, the chief enterprise architect for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, will be leaving her post in mid-August.

Cybersecurity

DHS to hold cyber-focused industry day

The Department of Homeland Security will hold an event Aug. 16 in Arlington, Va., to engage with "large and small companies interested in cybersecurity contracting."

Digital Government

Senate blocks additional funding for election security

An amendment to spend an additional $250 million on election security next year failed to hit the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster.