Cybersecurity

Agency heads: It takes more tech than you think

Agency heads, acquisition officers and even CIOs don't need to be hard-core techies. FCW's four-part look at the expertise that's really required to make federal IT run.

Cybersecurity

Auditors and regulators: Time to hire more IT grunts?

Agency heads, acquisition officers and even CIOs don't need to be hard-core techies. FCW's four-part look at the expertise that's really required to make federal IT run.

Cybersecurity

150 Solutions to Agencies' Cybersecurity Woes

Competitions are key to finding a fresh batch of cybersecurity talent, says EPA CTO Greg Godbout.

Cybersecurity

Federal Inspectors Want to Double-Check How Agencies Fared During ‘Cyber Sprint’

Ground-truthing is partly a way for IGs to maintain a role in information security oversight, now that DHS is in charge.

Cybersecurity

Legacy IT, legacy acquisition compound cyber risk

"We have architectures and hardware and software in places that is indefensible, no matter how much money and talent we put on it," says White House cyber advisor Michael Daniel.

Cybersecurity

How the OPM Hackers Killed the Password

White House directives dating back to 2004 warned against only relying on passwords.

Digital Government

Agencies Say They Need Access to Americans’ Emails Without a Warrant

But FTC and SEC have not used the current subpoena process in five years.

Cybersecurity

Senate panel mulls update to email access rules

Congress is revisiting a 29-year old law that has been swamped by changes in technology.

Cybersecurity

What the military learned from OPM

Civilian agencies have been publicly scouring the OPM breach for lessons, but military cyber leaders are also getting in on the act.

Cybersecurity

Finding the malware needle in the DNS haystack

HP’s new security tool leapfrogs the Homeland Security Department’s malware detection techniques by diving straight into the lifeblood of the Internet: DNS traffic.

Cybersecurity

DOD looks to Silicon Valley to automate cyber response

Boosting automated capabilities would make more IT personnel available for other critical jobs, says CIO Terry Halvorsen.

Cybersecurity

Watchdog: DHS Still Struggles with Cyber Response

The agency still struggles to coordinate its cyber-response activities and lacks an automated information-sharing tool to share cyber threat data.

Digital Government

FBI: Weaker Encryption Is a Worthwhile Tradeoff for Law Enforcement Access to Data

Government officials sparred with privacy advocates over encryption, but acknowledged that “back doors” come with risks of intrusion.

Cybersecurity

Contractors Say Proposed Hack Reporting Rules Aren’t Strict Enough

'This is exactly the interpretive, decentralized behavior that has produced the current state of network security vulnerabilities.'

Cybersecurity

OPM’s IT Security Overhaul Remains Under Scrutiny

In a new report made public today, the agency’s internal watchdog blasts the agency for dismissing the findings of an emergency report issued earlier this summer.

Cybersecurity

IRS hacks, college data, IoT warnings and more

News and notes from around the federal IT community.

Cybersecurity

The 100 Most Common Ashley Madison Passwords. Warning: Some of These Are NSFW

You might think people seeking to cheat on their spouses would use strong passwords. But no.

Cybersecurity

The brave new world of cyber insurance

Getting cyber insurance is a "last line of defense" that can also help secure a company before a hack even happens. But the industry needs more information, and Uncle Sam might have a big role to play.