FCW Insider: Feb. 8
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
NIST offers tools to defend against nation state cyber threats
The National Institute of Standards and Technology cites a 2018 hack of a Navy contractor as inspiration for a new publication on cyber defense, but security analysts say the tools are just as relevant to SolarWinds Orion.
Sen. Peters takes over HSGAC
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will be faced with oversight responsibilities over the SolarWinds hack, the federal government's response to the pandemic and with legislation to implement the Biden administration's priorities for the federal workforce.
House Dems look to expand TSA screeners' workplace protections
The bill would move all TSA employees into Title 5 of the U.S. Code, with pay conforming to the general schedule and collective bargaining rights.
Quick Hits
*** A group of Capitol region House Democrats led by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is asking the Office of Personnel Management to require agencies to offer employees administrative leave to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Agencies are permitted to offer administrative leave – paid leave that does not count against an employee's vacation or sick time – for vaccination, but there is no requirement that agencies do so.
"Mandating that federal agencies provide administrative time to get vaccinated is a necessary step, and allowing a couple additional days of paid sick leave for any post-vaccination symptoms is common sense," the lawmakers said in their Feb. 5 letter to acting OPM Director Kathleen McGettigan.
*** The Biden administration is establishing an Interagency Working Group on the National Security Workforce, with an eye to building scientific and technological expertise in federal agencies with national security responsibilities as well as improving recruitment, public engagement and strengthening diversity and inclusion policies and practices. The policy was announced Feb. 4 in a White House memo on the same day President Biden visited State Department headquarters and gave a speech to rank and file employees.
*** Join federal CIOS and industry leaders for the FCW Pillars of Modernization Workshop on Weds. Feb. 10 at 8:30 AM. IT modernization has been a federal priority for years, but many agencies still struggle to turn that goal into a practical plan of action. Securing multi-year funding is one challenge, but the fundamental obstacle is often the sheer complexity of transforming government-scale systems. This virtual FCW Workshop will feature government and industry experts sharing the lessons they've learned and the results they've been able to drive at key federal agencies.