Author Archive
Policy
Senators want DHS to detail efforts to mitigate GPS disruptions
Sens. Maggie Hassan. D-N.H., and James Lankford, R-Okla., expressed concerns that adversarial powers are investing in land-based alternatives to GPS, but that the U.S. has not taken similar steps.
Digital Government
Government spending bill would also codify VA’s customer experience office
The continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 14 would, in part, formalize a VA office that gathers feedback to improve veteran services.
Artificial Intelligence
DHS launches internal GenAI chatbot to leverage non-public data
Agency Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the tool, known as DHSChat, “will help men and women across DHS draft vital reports, summarize critical information, develop new software, streamline administrative tasks and much more.”
Defense
Dems push ‘right to repair’ mandate after proposal was stripped from NDAA
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., want servicemembers to be able to repair hardware without needing to depend on contractors to make fixes.
People
Intelligence CIO moves to helm IT at the National Institutes of Health
Adele Merritt, who served as CIO for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since January 2022, took over as the NIH CIO on Dec. 16.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers targeted in encrypted messaging phishing scam
Officials have been urging Americans and federal staff to pivot to encrypted messaging services amid a recent Chinese breach into telecommunications networks.
Emerging Tech
DHS surveillance tools lack bias and privacy protections, GAO says
DHS law enforcement agencies are currently developing policies to reduce bias in the use of AI-enabled tech but have no plans to do so for other monitoring tools.
Cybersecurity
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Artificial Intelligence
AI has high energy demands but could also speed up energy production, officials say
Artificial intelligence can help speed up the permitting process for new clean energy infrastructure to meet the energy needs of emerging technologies.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers want to enhance HHS cyber engagement with health care orgs
The bipartisan proposal, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., came out of the efforts of a working group focused on protecting medical institutions from digital attacks.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker wants FCC to create AI tool for identifying scams
The measure from Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah., would direct the FCC to develop an online platform that can assess submitted communications and then rate the likelihood that they are scam attempts.
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Digital Government
Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications
The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.
Digital Government
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
Modernization
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
Artificial Intelligence
Trust and security are top concerns in the public sector’s use of generative AI, survey says
A survey released by Amazon Web Services found that 83% of public sector respondents reported that their organizations are concerned about public trust in the new technology.
Modernization
Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review
A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”
Emerging Tech
MetTel becomes first authorized Starlink partner to offer satellite SD-WAN services
The news makes MetTel the first Starlink authorized reseller for both commercial and government organizations.
Cybersecurity
HHS has still not addressed key cyber recommendations, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office said its unaddressed cyber guidance can result “in potential adverse impact on healthcare providers and patient care.”
Defense
DOD issues private 5G deployment guide for military bases
The Department of Defense said it anticipates most military installations will use commercial 5G solutions but that “under certain circumstances, commercial networks may not fulfill an installation's requirements.”
Digital Government
VA proposes funding telehealth access points at non-VA facilities
The VA is looking to expand access to virtual healthcare consults by funding the creation of such access points at non-VA facilities in rural or medically underserved areas.
