Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Cybersecurity of K-12 Schools
The bipartisan, bicameral legislation directs CISA to provide primary and secondary schools with more targeted cyber information and resources to combat a rise in ransomware attacks.
Policy
GOP Lawmakers Call for Congressional Ban on Members Using TikTok
A coalition of 17 House and Senate GOP lawmakers called for an amendment to both chambers’ rules to bar members of Congress from using TikTok for official purposes.
Modernization
Congress's Competing Proposals to Fix VA's Ailing EHR Program
Top lawmakers tasked with overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs have introduced competing bills to enhance oversight of VA’s new electronic health record system.
Digital Government
VA’s New Cyber Apprenticeship Program Will Focus on Training for Underserved Veterans
The VA’s initiative, set to begin this summer, “is really designed to attract that diverse and inclusive cybersecurity talent,” a department official told Nextgov.
Cybersecurity
Federal, International Agencies Release Principles to Enhance Security of Tech Products
The new guidance pushes software and technology manufacturers to take more responsibility for the security of their devices by adhering to secure-by-design and -default principles.
Digital Government
Lawmakers Issue Bipartisan Call Urging Congressional Support for Development of a Global Tech Security Strategy
In a letter to their congressional colleagues, a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers urged support for the Global Tech Security Commission’s work in creating a strategy that can “develop, protect and adopt trusted technologies.”
Emerging Tech
Enhanced Information Sharing With Industry Key to Deterring Digital Threats, NSA Cyber Chief Says
NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce said intelligence sharing initiatives between government and industry empower companies to implement actionable cyber defense measures.
Digital Government
Space Force Has a Major Satellite Oversight Problem, GAO Says
The government’s network of land-based satellite antennas is facing growing usage demands, but Space Force has not updated the system’s support operations plan since it took over control of the program in 2019.
Modernization
VHA's $8.5M Emergency Comms System Largely Inoperable, OIG Finds
An audit conducted by VA’s Office of Inspector General found that an estimated 80% of the emergency communications systems deployed at 184 VA medical facilities are “not fully operational.”
Modernization
VA Again Delays Rollout of New Electronic Health Record System
The Department of Veterans Affairs, which announced last October it was pausing rollouts of its new EHR system until June 2023, said it “is not yet ready” to move forward with the software’s scheduled deployment at the VA Saginaw Healthcare System.
Digital Government
Apple VP Named New Director of Defense Innovation Unit
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced that the Defense Innovation Unit director will report directly to him as part of a leadership “realignment.”
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Move to Elevate Leadership of Energy’s Cyber Office
Citing the threat posed by foreign adversaries, four Republican senators are pushing for a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary to helm Energy’s office tasked with cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity
DOD Launches New Site to Bolster ‘Hack the Pentagon’
The website seeks to scale the Defense Department’s bug bounty program by attracting additional white hat hackers.
Modernization
Top Republican Moves to Block VA’s EHR Deployment Until Improvements Are Made
A dozen GOP senators—including the ranking member of a key committee—signed on to the bill.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers, DOD Officials Note Benefits of AI to Department’s Information Networks
During a hearing on securing the Defense Department’s information networks, senators and officials described how artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities could strengthen the department’s cyber resilience.
Cybersecurity
New Cyber Reports Will Show the Value of CISA Budget Investments, Director Says
Cyber incident reports will be shared with the agency under the soon-to-be implemented requirements of the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act.
Policy
Senators Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Federal Data Center Security
The bipartisan legislation seeks to protect federal data centers from physical and digital threats by establishing minimum requirements to enhance the security of these critical facilities.
Digital Government
Lawmakers Need to Enhance VA’s Oversight of Oracle EHR Rollout or ‘Move On,’ Top Republican Says
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Mike Bost, R-Ill., said Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress are largely aligned “on what we know we want to fix and the problems that we’re seeing” with the deployment of VA’s new EHR system.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Warn of Cyber Threat Posed by Beijing, Moscow to Energy Sector
Enhancing collaboration and information sharing with industry partners can help mitigate threats, but concerns remain about the extent to which foreign-made equipment is embedded within the U.S. electric grid.
Cybersecurity
Collaboration Over Self-Preservation Highlighted in Latest Guide to Cyber Oversight
CISA Director Jen Easterly said that the updated cyber-risk oversight handbook aligns with the agency’s goal of “advancing corporate cyber responsibility.”
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