Policy

White House Launches Plan for a Nuclear Power System on the Moon

It follows other space-centered proposals from the Trump administration—and might not be the last. 

Ideas

Why the New Administration Needs Federal Industrial Strategists

Smart strategy will require smart strategists who know the government’s policy levers and the technology innovation process. 

Ideas

Racial Stereotypes Drive Students of Color Away from STEM, but Many Still Persist

But no matter what they do, they cannot shake the perception among certain white colleagues and collaborators that they don’t belong.

Cybersecurity

GAO Issues ‘Wake-Up Call’ Report on Agencies’ Lax Supply Chain Security Management

The bottom line is that none of the 23 agencies audited fully implemented foundational risk management practices. 

Ideas

Artificial Intelligences Are Power Hungry, But Not How You Think

Keeping AIs on an ethical short leash is important but there are other aspects to consider.

Ideas

Why Being Stuck at Home—and Unable to Hang Out in Cafes and Bars—Drains Our Creativity

As we bounce from place to place, each brief social encounter plants a small seed that can gel into a new idea or inspiration.

Modernization

Amazon, Pentagon Resume JEDI Legal Arguments

Amazon Web Services asks the judge to toss out the contract award while Defense Department lawyers call the company’s protest a “prohibited strategic gambit.”

Digital Government

Wastewater Testing Tracks COVID Infection Trends

It could be a crucial step toward an informed public health response to diseases like COVID-19.

Modernization

Exit Interview: DeLuca Discusses Time as Acting TTS Director

“I wanted to make sure that the group itself was strong enough to go and take whatever that next step was going to be,” said Bob DeLuca, who will return to his position at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Preps for First CMMC Pilots in 2021

The Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program will begin including security requirements in select solicitations starting next year.

Emerging Tech

Defense Awards $2.5B Deal for Next-Gen Communications Prototypes

5G- and tech-centered initiatives steered by the National Spectrum Consortium are set to kick off.

Emerging Tech

Biometrics in Action

Federal agencies ramped up the use and scope of facial recognition tools in 2020, expanding programs to target more people and making significant technology upgrades.

Modernization

VA Solicits Feedback on Plans to Transform its HR IT Systems

The agency’s vast human resources community process more than 1 million personnel actions a year.

Cybersecurity

What We Know About the SolarWinds Breach

The White House invoked Presidential Policy Directive-41 to coordinate a "whole of government" response.

Cybersecurity

Senate Bill Targets Government’s Response to Agency-Involved Cyber Incidents

Agencies would see new reporting requirements to keep Congress and impacted individuals more informed about security breaches.

Emerging Tech

Report: Augmented Reality Challenges Privacy Norms

Augmented reality technology’s presumed growth comes with some risks.

Podcasts

Critical Update: Did COVID-19 Push More Agencies Into the Cloud?

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting mass telework means agencies must have moved more data, workloads and services into the cloud. Right?

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Risks Falling Short on Electromagnetic Spectrum Goals, GAO Finds

The Defense Department needs to improve governance and oversight of EMS strategies in order to maintain operational control, according to a new audit.

Artificial Intelligence

What Trump’s Order on Trustworthy AI Might Mean for Agencies

Experts say it’s a step in the right direction, but the coming months will determine its ultimate impacts. 

Cybersecurity

CISA Orders Federal Agencies to Turn Off SolarWinds Products 

A critical flaw in software used throughout government was reportedly used to breach a major security company and at least two federal agencies.