Acquisition

CIO-SP4 protests move toward final decision

No action appears likely to resolve the 130-plus protests involving this $50 billion IT vehicle, which indicates the Government Accountability Office will decide on the contract's next steps.

Cybersecurity

Agencies Warn of State-Sponsored Volt Typhoon’s Hacking Tactics

In collaboration with international and private sector partners, CISA released a new advisory warning network defenders of PRC-linked Volt Typhoon’s infiltration tactics. 

Policy

Does Congress need a chief data officer?

A new joint resolution would establish a bipartisan commission to look at what legislators need in terms of data, evidence and professional capacity.

Digital Government

Debt Defaults are Not Shutdowns, But Both Raise Money Fears

Question number one that companies in the government market want answered is how payments for their work on contracts will, or will not, happen in a debt default situation. No one knows for sure.

Digital Government

SSA says it will offer data matches to government benefit programs

The Social Security Administration offers data validation services for the financial services sector. It now says it plans to offer similar verification services to government benefit programs.

Cybersecurity

DHS' cyber agency seeks small biz support for strategic planning

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has set a date to explain its changes to a management consulting services contract.

Digital Government

House Passes Bill to Permanently Authorize VA’s Tech Training Program

VA’s VET-TEC pilot ran out of funding last month, but lawmakers in the House and Senate are moving to permanently authorize the technology education program.

Cybersecurity

Securing U.S. Intellectual Property ‘Top Priority’ for Federal Law Enforcement

The FBI and Homeland Security are emphasizing the need to digitally safeguard tech R&D in the U.S. from state-sponsored adversaries.

Policy

Congress Doesn’t Know How to Count the Number of National Security Professionals and That’s a Problem

Instead of addressing data security or IT policies around protecting classified information, Congress goes after numbers.

Defense

Space Force will look at how to hack targets from space

“We're laying the groundwork for starting to figure that,” said the leader of Space Operations Command.

People

Debt ceiling furloughs are unconstitutional, union will argue before court next week

The lawsuit seeks to force the Biden administration to take unilateral action to avoid a default.

Digital Government

FDA seeks industry support to develop standardized data ‘supersets’

The Food and Drug Administration is set to launch new pilot projects that aim to improve data interoperability and analysis across the public health community.

Digital Government

10 Vendors Receive Over Half of VA's IT Contracts, Drawing Lawmaker Concern

A Government Accountability Office representative told House lawmakers that Veterans Affairs’ IT obligations have been “increasingly concentrated with a small group of vendors.”

Digital Government

DHS wants answers on how well digital identity systems work

The Science and Technology Directorate is moving forward with another round of testing for its remote identity validation technology demonstration. 

Cybersecurity

Cyber Agencies Unveil Updated Ransomware Guide

The 2023 version offers more detailed, step-by-step guidance and associated recommendations to fortify public and private networks against sophisticated ransomware.

Artificial Intelligence

FDA Announces Contract for Automation in Drug Performance Analyses

The Food and Drug Administration is asking for proposals for automated devices that can provide high-definition imaging and critical analyses of drug performance as the agency works to integrate more AI.

Policy

DHS Unveils Departmentwide Body Camera Policy

The new guidance restricts law enforcement agencies under DHS’s authority from using body-worn cameras “for the sole purpose of recording individuals who are engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment.”