Digital Government

Pentagon Leaders Discuss Challenges of Moving Data To and From the Tactical Edge

Officials described their goals as they begin implementing the DOD’s enterprisewide data strategy.

Cybersecurity

NIST offers tools to defend against nation state cyber threats

The National Institute of Standards and Technology cites a 2018 hack of a Navy contractor as inspiration for a new publication on cyber defense, but security analysts say the tools are just as relevant to SolarWinds Orion.

Cybersecurity

Sen. Peters takes over HSGAC

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will be faced with oversight responsibilities over the SolarWinds hack, the federal government's response to the pandemic and with legislation to implement the Biden administration's priorities for the federal workforce.

Cybersecurity

Space Force begins onboarding cyber specialists

The U.S. Space Force has begun transferring more than a thousand cyber professionals into its ranks as of Feb. 1 with plans to start recruiting talent for multiple career fields from across the military branches this year.

Cybersecurity

Foster plans push for digital ID legislation

Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) said today he will likely reintroduce a bipartisan bill to improve the country's fragmentary digital identity verification systems.

Digital Government

Two GSA Contract Management Sites Will Be Down For Two Days

Contractor portals eOffer and eMod will be offline for two days in March as the General Services Administration switches to a new log-in method with added security.

Digital Government

Industry Group Gives Defense Contractors ‘C’ Health Grade in Annual Report

The report found weak industrial security scores driven by increases in cyber vulnerabilities negatively impacted the health of the defense industrial base in 2020. 

Cybersecurity

HASC adds cybersecurity subcommittee

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) will chair a new subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee focused on cybersecurity, emerging tech and information systems.

Cybersecurity

DOD to Try Out Its Vulnerability Disclosure Program with Contractors

The Defense Cyber Crime Center will launch the program on April 5 in collaboration with the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency.

Ideas

The Transition to TIC 3.0: Ensuring Agency Readiness for Network Modernization

IT and security teams will need the right building blocks to accommodate a range of use cases.

Cybersecurity

State’s New Cyber Office Brings Up Questions About Agency Roles

The House Homeland Security Chair and new Cybersecurity subcommittee leader say any cyber diplomacy should also tap CISA’s expertise.

Emerging Tech

Republican Senators Question Commerce Nominee’s Commitment to Keep Up Huawei Pressure 

In a letter, senators hinted at political trouble if department nominees don’t maintain trade policies restricting Huawei. 

Cybersecurity

Does Einstein need a post-SolarWinds makeover?

A marquee program designed to protect the government against cybersecurity threats is facing new scrutiny in the wake of Solar Winds Orion breach, but analysts say the program was unlikely to have ever stopped the hacking campaign.

Ideas

COVID-19 Misinformation on Chinese Social Media – Lessons for Countering Conspiracy Theories

The popular conspiracies on Weibo about the origins of COVID-19 differ substantially from those in the U.S.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers press NSA for answers about Juniper hack from 2015

A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling on the NSA to explain its part in developing a flawed encryption algorithm that was used and subsequently exploited through Juniper Network's security products, citing the supply chain hack involving SolarWinds Orion.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Wants to Upgrade the IT Supporting Its Insider Threat Program

The Defense Department wants a vendor to manage the next phase of development for the insider threat program’s central database and case management.

Cybersecurity

Justice Notches Major Win with Global Botnet Takedown

Law enforcement also announced their disruption of the commoditized NetWalker ransomware.