Cybersecurity

DOD’s Cybersecurity Accreditation Partner Working to Address Conflict of Interest Issues

Multiple members of the Accreditation Body’s board of directors also serve as consultants in the cybersecurity space, which critics say gives them an unfair advantage to cash in on the program.

Artificial Intelligence

Regulators Want to Know How AI Should (and Shouldn’t) Be Used In Nuclear Power Plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission put out a call for feedback on using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the safety and reliability of the grid.

Cybersecurity

Energy Department Announces 100-Day Sprint to Shore Up Power Grid Cybersecurity

The department will partner with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and utilities to improve visibility, detection and response to cyber threats.

Podcasts

Critical Update: The Programmers of Public Service

Meet two federal software developers: One at the start of their career and the other nearing the end.

Emerging Tech

Bipartisan Bills Aim to Expand Federal Quantum Research and Grow Future Workforce

The U.S. must keep an edge in this increasingly competitive realm, according to the lawmakers who introduced the legislation.

Cybersecurity

White House Stands Down Coordination Effort on SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange Hacks

The leading cybersecurity official on the National Security Council shared lessons learned as agencies reach patching goals.

Cybersecurity

Survey: Large Contractors More Concerned Than Small Contractors About DOD’s Cybersecurity Certification Program

A new survey puts numbers on conflicting narratives about the small businesses perspective and issues of competition in the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification regime.

Ideas

You're Not Imagining It – 3 Ways COVID-19 Has Been Extra Hard on American Parents

Even before the pandemic, surveys showed that a majority of parents were struggling to balance their work and home lives.

Modernization

Connolly, Hice Announce Bill to Improve Performance Planning at FITARA Hearing

The Performance Enhancement Reform Act would require greater collaboration among agency officials and more detailed descriptions of resources required to meet goals.

Cybersecurity

The Hack Roundup: White House Sanctions Russia over SolarWinds

Agencies involved in response also issued advisories on the hackers' tactics while Microsoft offered federal customers free trials of an auditing tool.

Modernization

Classified Workloads Coming to MilCloud This Summer, GDIT Says

And DOD’s deputy chief information officer said DISA’s on-premise cloud contract is part of a group of offerings filling the JEDI void.

Emerging Tech

House Bill Would Direct Feds to Use Drones, Remote Sensors in U.S. Reforestation Efforts

The legislation calls for a five-year pilot program aimed at removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Digital Government

Bill Would Prohibit Sale of Americans’ Personal Data to Adversarial Countries

The proposal would establish an interagency group to categorize data, then develop a list of countries banned from importing individuals’ data that could threaten national security.

Ideas

Defending Against Cybersecurity Moles Inside Your Agency

The move to a virtual workforce has been a boon to industrious hackers.