FCW Insider: Dec. 24

The government has made headway on its information sharing efforts, a new report from several departments' inspectors general finds, with the Intelligence Community Analysis and Signature Tool proving especially helpful. Yet the IGs also found that other once-promising programs are withering on the vine. Derek B. Johnson has all the details.

It has not been a good year for American Federation of Governmental Employees leadership. AFGE President J. David Cox -- who is already on leave following allegations of sexual harassment -- now stands accused of misusing union resources to promote his re-election campaign and violating AFGE's "no politics" rule. Lia Russell details the allegations.

It's FCW's holiday present to procrastinators: The deadline for Federal 100 nominations has been extended. Submissions are now due no later than 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 7.  Give a worthy colleague the gift of recognition, and submit your nomination today -- Troy K. Schneider explains what's required.

Quick Hits

***A former General Services Administration contract officer pleaded guilty Dec. 19 in a federal court to accepting bribes from government contractors. Ronnie Simpkins was employed by GSA as a contract specialist from 1989 until May 2019. His charge stemmed from accusations that he accepted bribes between August 2011 and August 2017, a period that included a stint at GSA’s Washington D.C. office.

During that time, Simpkins worked in the Federal Acquisition Service subcomponent that oversees Schedule 70, a key acquisition vehicle for IT products and services. He admitted to accepting cash payments and other gifts from private companies seeking contracts.

According to the Department of Justice and FBI, Simpkins will likely spend up to two years in prison and pay fines of up to $75,000 with an added $12,000 forfeiture charge. His sentencing will be in March 2020.

*** The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released draft documentation for the last version of the federal government's Trusted Internet Connections policy, dubbed TIC 3.0. The guidance includes a program guidebook, reference architecture, a security capabilities handbook, a use case handbook and a "service provider overlay handbook."

"It’s the holiday season, and reminders that life is about connections are all around us," CISA Director of Network Resilience Matt Hartman wrote in a blog post announcing the release. "But as those who have clicked the 'unsubscribe' button or un-friended an old roommate know, some connections have to change over time."

The official request for comments period opened Dec. 23, and will continue through Jan. 31.

*** This is last scheduled edition of FCW Insider of 2019.  We will cover breaking news on FCW.com and with special email updates as appropriate, but the next FCW Insider is slated for Thursday, Jan. 2.  We hope your holidays are safe and happy!