Modernization

TMF Board Still Accepting Governmentwide Cyber Proposals

Agencies have submitted more projects since a huge infusion of cash and a relaxing of the payback model.  

Cybersecurity

CISA debuts vulnerability disclosure platform

Federal civilian agencies can tap a bug reporting system fielded as a shared service by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to gather information on potential website and software vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity

Wanted: Accountability for Addressing the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Challenge

Even when some agencies succeed at bringing talent in, they aren’t able to hold on to it for long.

Cybersecurity

DHS recent hiring sprint shows promise, but lawmakers still see gaps in the federal cybersecurity workforce

The federal government continues to face challenges in recruiting a skilled cybersecurity workforce, amid heavy private sector demand and obstacles built into the hiring process, but there are some recent signs that longstanding efforts to improve the situation are starting to pay off.

Cybersecurity

Survey: Pandemic Has Left Public Sector IT Exposed

The single largest risk factor reported by respondents is the influx in remote work.

Cybersecurity

The Most Targeted Vulnerability of the Year Was First Identified in 2017

In a joint advisory, international cybersecurity officials say failure to patch years-old vulnerabilities makes attributing cyberattacks more difficult.

Modernization

One A, One D in a Relatively Static FITARA Scorecard

Eighteen of 24 agencies received the same grade as in the previous FITARA scorecard.

Cybersecurity

TSA ramps up fuel pipeline cyber strategy

At a Senate hearing, the TSA administrator updated lawmakers on the implementation of two recent cybersecurity directives issued in the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.

Cybersecurity

White House Asks CISA, NIST to Set Performance Goals for Critical Infrastructure Operators

The initiative will not result in mandatory measures for the private sector, but the administration hopes to signal its commitment to cybersecurity and maybe get a little help from Congress on that front.

Emerging Tech

Senate Banking Chair Asks CFPB How It Plans to Address Risks of Chime and Other Banking Apps

With an estimated 12 million customers, Chime is the largest in its highly competitive subcategory of financial technology companies that serve low- to moderate-income individuals.

Cybersecurity

TSA, Transportation Officials Give Insight into New Cybersecurity Mandates for Pipeline Operators

Agency leaders expressed a commitment to avoiding duplication of their efforts as lines blur between cyber and physical security.

Ideas

To Find Cybersecurity Talent, Poach From Other Fields 

Cybersecurity pros are in demand, which means the government will need to think of new sources.

Modernization

House Appropriators Offer $50M for TMF But White House Wants 10 Times That

The Office of Management and Budget said it’s received more than $2 billion in proposals since getting $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan.

Podcasts

Critical Update: How the Controversial JEDI Contract Changed the Pentagon

Experts say the doomed contract helped take cloud literacy at the Defense Department to the next level.

Cybersecurity

How Unemployment Insurance Fraud Exploded During the Pandemic

Bots filing bogus applications in bulk, teams of fraudsters in foreign countries making phony claims, online forums peddling how-to advice on identity theft: Inside the infrastructure of perhaps the largest fraud wave in history.

Cybersecurity

States Weigh Bans on Ransomware Payoffs

The idea is that this would deter attacks because cybercriminals would know they couldn’t get paid.

Cybersecurity

Energy Updates Assessment Tool for Administration’s 100-Day Cybersecurity Sprint

The update comes as lawmakers jostle for jurisdiction over cybersecurity across multiple critical infrastructure sectors with a slew of bills advancing in both chambers of Congress.

Cybersecurity

DOD’s Supply Chain Security Should be Strategic Priority, Congressional Task Force Says

The Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force released six legislative proposals calling for less dependence on adversaries like China and improved supply chain visibility.