Cybersecurity
National Cyber Director should lead quantum cyber preparations, GAO says
Marisol Cruz Cain, the watchdog’s head of cybersecurity and information, told lawmakers that the Office of the National Cyber Director remains GAO’s pick to coordinate a national post-quantum strategy.
Defense
US strikes didn’t fully wipe Iran nuclear program, early intel assessment says
A preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report says Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back by some months, undercutting public claims from the White House that the nation’s nuclear capabilities were obliterated after a bombing run over the weekend.
Modernization
Funding for further EHR deployments ‘vitally important,’ VA secretary says
VA Secretary Doug Collins said failing to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system “hurts our community care process because our doctors cannot communicate with the community [or] our doctors internally.”
Digital Government
Lawmakers spar over DOGE as Republicans look to lock in cuts
Republicans again blocked an attempt to subpoena billionaire and former DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Cybersecurity
Report: Iranian hackers are trying to create a psychological war in cyberspace
The Iran-linked CyberAv3ngers gang has evolved itself into a digital propaganda machine by combining recycled data leaks and theatrics to manufacture panic about hacks that never happened.
Acquisition
Elastic to discount software for agencies in latest GSA OneGov agreement
The San Francisco-headquartered tech firm will offer up to 60% discounts on software pricing through September 2027.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers demand review of VA’s AI-driven contract cuts
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Angus King, I-Maine, said the use of AI to identify agency contracts for termination “adds an entire new level of unease connected to the decision-making, security, governance, and quality control of the entire process.”
Ideas
AI.gov: A missed opportunity for true innovation and fiscal responsibility
COMMENTARY | The internal chatbot initiative is yet another example of taxpayer dollars being squandered
Modernization
VA needs to better plan appointment scheduling modernization, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said VA “has not yet determined how the modernized and updated products used for scheduling will interface and be used to pull and combine the data” from its current VistA electronic health record system and the new Oracle Health software.
Emerging Tech
New NSF telescope aims to discover unknowns in space
The Legacy Survey of Space and Time telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory leverages novel technological systems to search for interstellar objects and study dark matter.
Cybersecurity
Cyber firms sunset free services meant to counter Russia-linked hacking threats
The 2022 initiative by Cloudflare, CrowdStrike and Ping Identity provided cybersecurity support to critical infrastructure sectors seen as potential targets of Russia-linked attacks.
Cybersecurity
DHS expects Iran’s cyber forces will target US networks after strikes on nuclear sites
Iran has often targeted U.S. digital systems. Last year, Iranian hackers pilfered and distributed sensitive documents from inside President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
People
Trump watchdog nominees draw congressional scrutiny for political histories
Labor inspector general nominee and former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., praised President Donald Trump during his confirmation hearing, while Veterans Affairs IG nominee Cheryl Mason, who was a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins, said she wasn’t involved in any decisions at the department.
Emerging Tech
Microsoft announces advancement in quantum error correction
The company said it is able to reduce error rates in its quantum computing capabilities by 1,000-fold thanks to four-dimensional geometric codes.
Digital Government
Lawmakers propose digital delivery option for GI Bill documents
Bipartisan legislation seeks to provide veterans and their beneficiaries with the ability to receive electronic correspondence about their GI Bill education benefits.
Emerging Tech
G7 nations commit to advancing AI and quantum
The seven member nations agreed to collaborate on both artificial intelligence and quantum technology research and policy.
Emerging Tech
Estonia begins laying the keystone for a great Baltic Drone Wall
The ultimate goal is to fully cover hundreds of miles of the border with Russia so that no drone can pass over the wall without being detected and possibly destroyed.
Modernization
Democrats press Palantir about reported creation of IRS ‘mega-database’
The possible creation of a shareable, governmentwide database of Americans’ personal information would be a “surveillance nightmare,” 10 House and Senate Democrats wrote in a letter to the tech company.
Artificial Intelligence
USPTO touts success in AI applications
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has initiated several programs — such as the Scout chatbot assistant and PE2E search tool — in an effort to streamline the work done by human employees.
Artificial Intelligence