Digital Government

DOD Now Continuously Monitoring Clearance Holders’ Credit and Criminal Records

The long-awaited change to the background investigations process will flag concerning information for further investigation.

Ideas

5 Lessons Learned as the CISO for the U.S. Postal Service

Agencies cannot stop hackers from targeting them. But we can—and should—develop risk management strategies.

Cybersecurity

DHS faces uphill climb with financial systems modernization

The agency made some awards on a long-delayed financial management modernization effort earlier this month, but years of work awaits the agency on establishing an enterprisewide system.

Cybersecurity

FCC Working on Rule for Wireless Carriers to Avert SIM Swap Fraud

More than a year after lawmakers requested such action to protect consumer data and national security, the commission’s move could help to stop hackers undermining multifactor authentication.

Ideas

Prioritizing Breach Prevention for a Secure Government  

A more secure government happens when hackers are stopped before they can touch critical data and systems—when a breach is prevented, not mitigated.

Cybersecurity

White House Announces 7 TMF Awards with Big Focus on Zero Trust

Half of the awards announced publicly went to zero trust cybersecurity projects, with no funding going directly to pandemic response tech. One project remains classified.

Cybersecurity

Cyber EO compliance is a full-time job

Unified security controls, supply chain security, zero trust and smart procurement decisions are all pieces of the puzzle.

Cybersecurity

7 new TMF awards include one classified project

The awards focus on zero trust and include a major investment in the Login.gov federal digital identity solution.

Cybersecurity

NSA Cyber Chief Warns Hackers Increasingly Use Commercial Tools to Stay Hidden 

Advanced persistent threat actors are becoming harder to spot and making attribution more difficult.

Digital Government

After 3 Years, Key IRS Systems Still Aren’t Properly Encrypted

The inspector general attributed the delays in the agency’s data at rest encryption program to additional mandates and poor adherence to program management best practices.

Cybersecurity

CISA chief: Cyber incident reporting can't become a burden

Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, stressed the importance of cyber incident reporting but said mandates should be careful of potentially overburdening companies -- and CISA -- with "reporting noise."

Ideas

Why Government Agencies Fail at DevSecOps—and How They Can Succeed 

Instead of seeking out short-term gains, agencies need to focus on the long-term benefits.

Modernization

Congress Gets First Look At Upcoming TMF Awards

The federal CIO offered a few details of the project proposals received and upcoming award announcements.

Cybersecurity

CISA Warns of Vulnerabilities in Banned Chinese Surveillance Tech

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on tightening its national security reviews of foreign suppliers.

Digital Government

Senate Intel Chair Says Government Needs to Wake Up to China Threat

The senator called for increased investment in technology and infrastructure by the federal government.

Cybersecurity

Coast Guard looks to direct commissioning for cyber personnel

The maritime military branch opened up its direct commissioning program to cyber roles in cyberspace operations, cybersecurity, information assurance and cyber threat intelligence.

Cybersecurity

Audit: IRS Needs to Improve How It Wipes Taxpayer Data  from Devices

Computer and laptop hard drives that aren’t properly scrubbed could allow exposure of private taxpayer data.

Digital Government

How the Pandemic Changed the Government’s Health-Focused Buying

Agencies with health missions had to figure out how to spend emergency funds fast in the face of COVID-19.

Cybersecurity

Spending the federal cybersecurity budget: what's next?

A lot of new money is in the pipeline to help the federal government confront cybersecurity problems -- but what's the best way to allocate those resources?