Policy

Survey: Performance, Pressure Have Increased Among Remote Government Employees During COVID

The survey also revealed managers seem to trust employees to perform more in virtual environments.

Policy

FEC Approves Google’s Plan to Exempt Campaign Emails From Spam Filters

The pilot program stems in part from a March study that found Google filters were far more likely to mark right-wing campaign emails as spam than left-wing ones.

People

A former watchdog has ideas on dealing with poorly performing inspectors general

The former acting Pentagon inspector general asks, “Who is watching the watchdogs?”

Modernization

NIST Redesigns Platform for Reporting Federally Funded Inventions

The National Institute of Standards and Technology upgraded the iEdison platform to include new features and an improved interface.

Acquisition

Senators urge DOJ to flex debarment authority

Two Democrats say that companies are getting away with "ripping off the government" because of the reluctance to exercise suspension and debarment authorities.

Ideas

Faced with a Rise of Extremism within Its Ranks, the Military Has Clamped down on Racist Speech, Including Retweets and Likes

For civilians, free speech is protected by the First Amendment. Not so in the U.S. military, where the rise of political extremism has become a problem.

Policy

Banks' Ability to Conduct Cryptocurrency Transactions Comes Under Senators' Fire

Letters issued by the Department of Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency allow banks to engage in digital currency transactions that are considered financially sound.

Artificial Intelligence

New Research Points to Hidden Vulnerabilities Within Machine Learning Systems

Agencies need to provide extra attention and security for machine learning and artificial intelligence-based systems, beyond the normal level of cybersecurity protection.

Cybersecurity

Log4j Vulnerability Prompts Lawmakers to Examine Agency Cyber Measures

House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders asked several federal agencies about mitigation efforts, following a previous CISA emergency directive about the vulnerability.

Digital Government

FTC Contemplates Rules to Protect Against Commercial Surveillance and Lax Data Privacy

The Commission voted Thursday to issue a notice of their proposed rulemaking and solicit public comment.

Policy

Senate chairman presses for details on deleted Jan. 6 texts

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, wants officials to explain what they know about the deletion of texts potentially relevant to ongoing inquiries into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and why seemingly routine records management directives were ignored.

Cybersecurity

CISA Releases Cybersecurity Toolkit to Help Protect Upcoming Midterm Elections

The guide for state and local election officials offers free tools to help mitigate digital threats and safeguard voting systems from outside intrusion.

Cybersecurity

Cyber Safety Review Board staffs up

The chair of the Cyber Safety Review Board has ambitious goals for the organization following its public review of the Log4j software vulnerability.

Digital Government

Agencies are still wrangling over death data

Information about deaths is a key part of administering programs like Social Security, but how data is collected and shared comes with questions.

Emerging Tech

The U.S. Army Is Hunting For More Soldier-Connected Tech

A recent solicitation calls for soldier-centered networking and information technology that will link existing and prototype technologies together.

Cybersecurity

VA Systems Vulnerable to Cyber Intrusions Due to Lack of Effective Oversight, Report Says

The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General's office said the agency is "leaving its systems vulnerable to compromise by impostors who may gain access to protected information."

Cybersecurity

Cyber Threats Warrant a Government Reorganization, Former CISA Head Says

Inaugural CISA director Chris Krebs said the federal government should do more to respond to cybersecurity and data concerns.