Cybersecurity
State Department to levy visa restrictions on spyware abusers
The move builds on several actions taken by the Biden administration in the past year to counter abusive commercial spyware practices.
Emerging Tech
Autonomous tech featured in Senate border and foreign aid bill
The Senate’s proposed $118 billion immigration and foreign aid package includes more than $260 million to deploy emerging technologies to secure the border.
Defense
Defense Innovation Board looks to lock data access in 'all vendor agreements'
A recent study from the advisory group said data access requirements in the Pentagon’s vendor agreements are “fragmented and inconsistent” and called for Congress to take action.
Emerging Tech
IARPA launches program to solve error-prone building blocks of quantum computing
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity will work to reduce the noise in quantum bits, which currently stand as a major hurdle to establishing fault-tolerant quantum computing.
People
The jobs boom is hitting the federal sector, too
Federal agencies added 11,000 jobs in January and hit a 20-year high for non-census years.
Policy
Proposal to broaden CBO’s access to government data gets legs in the House
The bill introduced in the House this week would exempt the Congressional Budget Office from data sharing restrictions in the Privacy Act.
Digital Government
Vet centers need better systems, data to enhance support services
Watchdog officials warned lawmakers that the community-based counseling centers for returning veterans use a platform for identifying those at high risk of suicide that is “neither effectively nor consistently utilized.”
Cybersecurity
Treasury sanctions Iranian cyber officials tied to 2023 water system hacks
The hackers targeted a batch of Israeli-made programmable logic controllers used in water treatment plants around the U.S.
Cybersecurity
Ex-CIA officer and WikiLeaks source sentenced to 40 years for largest breach in agency history
Joshua Adam Schulte was found to have abused administrative privileges and secretly transmitted the documents in 2016.
Artificial Intelligence
Transportation launches $15M AI effort to improve US street infrastructure
The program marries existing agency priorities with emerging technologies, and asks small businesses to drive innovation in infrastructure data visualization.
Ideas
How government organizations can get started with generative AI today
COMMENTARY | It may take time to fully embrace generative AI in a trusted and transparent manner, but that shouldn’t stop organizations from taking action now.
Cybersecurity
National Cyber Strategy needs better implementation measures, GAO argues
The White House Office of the National Cyber Director can improve on performance measures and cost estimations, the U.S. federal oversight agency said in a Thursday analysis.
Digital Government
Agencies contend with new metrics, another missing hearing for FITARA 17.0
Cracks are showing in the usual, bipartisan buy-in for oversight on FITARA progress.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers seek to probe AI’s environmental impacts
A new bill would bring together the EPA and NIST to help Congress understand how AI is negatively or positively impacting the environment.
Cybersecurity
Agencies must disconnect all exposed Ivanti products by Friday, CISA says
The directive follows a related warning issued last month about cybersecurity flaws in Ivanti systems.
Acquisition
Veterans Affairs to again rethink $400M file conversion contract
GovCIO continues to challenge VA's choice of General Dynamics IT and the department has opted to look at the award again.
Emerging Tech
Oak Ridge public-private partnership looks to advance quantum tech for the power grid
The partnership between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and utility provider EPB aims to find ways that quantum technologies can enhance energy resilience.
Cybersecurity
Biden to veto any efforts to shutter SEC cyber disclosure rules
The SEC argues the disclosure rule forces firms to be more transparent with investors. Opponents say it may compromise sensitive business data and publicize vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity
Cyber, intelligence chiefs urge U.S. to strengthen against Chinese cyber threats
In a collective call to action, officials warned of invasive actions that China-backed hackers can take against U.S. infrastructure and elections.
Defense