FCW Insider: Nov. 6

Watchdog: GSA needs to account for contractor PIV cards

The General Services Administration still needs to do a better job tracking and recovering access cards from its contractors, according to a report for the agency's watchdog.

A post-election message from government contractors to America

Steve Kelman calls for civic renewal -- and more of the moderate culture of bipartisan respect that the federal IT community often embodies.

18 state AGs call to end Trump's crackdown on diversity training

In a letter, 18 state attorneys general and the AG from the District of Columbia say that a recent executive order on diversity training is having "opposite effect" of its stated goal of preventing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.

Quick Hits

*** Katie Arrington, the chief information security officer for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense told a webinar audience Nov. 5 that there would be no temporary Cybersecurity Maturity Model Capability certifications for contractors. There is a mediation process if you disagree with your auditor's findings but there is no interim certification, Washington Technology reported.

"It is go or no go," she said. "There is no more I’m going to get there next week. It is now. We can't wait. Our adversaries aren't waiting."

*** Why a 4G network on the moon is bad news for radio astronomy.

*** Nominations for the 2021 Fed 100 are now being accepted. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31.