FCW Insider: May 19, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Few agencies sought Schedule F conversions
In the waning days of the Trump administration, only a relative handful out of hundreds of eligible agencies and department responded to an executive order that looked to reclassify vast swathes of the federal civil service as at-will employees.
Comment: Leveraging the TMF for the secure modernization of high value assets
Prioritizing Technology Modernization Fund dollars for systems that support high-impact programs can drive major improvements in how IT supports key government missions.
Is it time to test the limits -- and potential -- of expanding CMMC?
Calls for a certified baseline of cybersecurity seem to increase with every cyberattack. Is the CMMC model the right template for a universal and independently verifiable way to protect supply chains?
GOP rep wants feds back in the office
Rep. Jody Hice, the top Republican on the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, says that recent CDC guidance on masks, vaccination and social distancing means that it's time for the federal government to move away from the emergency pandemic footing.
Quick Hits
*** Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) was tapped to serve as ranking member on the House Armed Service's Committee's Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. He's swapping subcommittee assignments with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who is taking over as ranking member on HASC's Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
*** While the U.S., U.K. and other developed countries have banned the use of Huawei equipment in their 5G networks, the Chinese company has plenty of customers for its cloud infrastructure and e-government services according to the Reconnecting Asia Huawei Cloud & e-Government Data report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. GCN has more on this story.