Cybersecurity

Senate Identity Theft Bill Tells VA to Stop Using Social Security Numbers

Under the legislation, VA would have phase out the use of Social Security numbers in its IT systems within five years.

Cybersecurity

Senate Committee Wants to Know if OMB Ever Uses its Get-Tough Cyber Power

Since the OPM hack was revealed last summer, the White House has exhorted agencies to tighten their cybersecurity defenses.

Digital Government

IG: FEMA Mishandles Sensitive Information at Disaster Sites

The IG presses FEMA officials to “take quick action to ensure the protection of PII in future disasters.”

Cybersecurity

Oversight Lawmakers Demand Overdue Data Security Plan from Census

The Government Accountability Office says cybersecurity is a “critical” challenge for the agency.

Digital Government

You’ve Heard of the DATA Act. Now, Get Ready for the EDIT Act.

The Establishing Digital Interactive Transparency Act would require congressional bills posted online to include a “track changes-style system”showing all the tweaks made to legislation as it makes its way through Congress.

Digital Government

IG: Social Security Should’ve Considered Scrapping $300M IT Project

Agency officials only considered two options: buying commercial code or building their own.

Cybersecurity

Watchdog Knocks State Department for Thousands of Zombie Accounts

Most of the inactive accounts have been dormant for more than a year -- in violation of agency policy.

Digital Government

Lack of Funding Means Several Agencies Won’t Be Getting Digital Service Teams After All

Of the 25 largest federal agencies slated for the effort, just three currently have officially chartered digital service teams.

Cybersecurity

IRS Turns Hacked Application Back On -- This Time with Added Security Features

The announcement came just a day before the release of a new report that revealed the IRS did not identify all taxpayers whose sensitive tax information may have been improperly accessed by cybercriminals.

Digital Government

House Passes Bill Mandating Agency Software-Savings Plans

The MEGABYTE Act requires federal agencies to maintain comprehensive software license inventories.

Digital Government

Census Names New Top Tech Official as Agency Prepares for 2020 Count

The hires comes less than a month after lawmakers pressed the agency to appoint a permanent CIO, following a nearly yearlong vacancy.

Digital Government

Agency CIOs Undercount ‘High-Risk’ IT Projects, GAO Says

CIOs are not adequately assessing risk of major projects, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Digital Government

White House Cracks Down on Software Spending

Agencies will have to appoint software managers to centrally manage their software buying.

Digital Government

Lawmakers Want Review of VA’s VistA Modernization Efforts

Earlier this year, the VA CIO said the agency needed to "take a step back" from a planned upgrade of its long-running electronic health records system.

Cybersecurity

OPM’s Troubled IT Upgrade Project on Track to Get Millions More in Funding

A new watchdog report finds funding for the project remains an issue in part because of poor planning by the agency.

Digital Government

Senate Committee Advances Measure Letting Agencies Crack Down on Personal Email

The bill allows agency heads to bypass federal rules requiring them to consult with unions about workplace matters in order to block access to certain websites.

Digital Government

Here Are 10 of the Oldest IT Systems in the Federal Government

The application programming languages undergirding some federal IT systems were new when "The Andy Griffith Show" premiered.