People
OPM rule gives agencies more direct-hire authority for recent college grads
The new authority is being billed by the Office of Personnel Management as s one more tool for agencies to bring in young talent and fill critical talent gaps.
Emerging Tech
Study: China Far Outpacing U.S. in Worldwide Robotics Patents
The U.S. is fourth in robotics patents, behind China, Japan and South Korea.
Digital Government
Federal Contractor COVID-19 Vaccine Deadline Pushed Back to January
The deadline aligns with the Biden administration’s other new vaccine mandates, but is more than six weeks after federal employees are required to receive their shots.
Cybersecurity
DOD revamps controversial CMMC program
After a nine-month review, the Defense Department is replacing its original cyber compliance program for the industrial base with CMMC 2.0, putting more emphasis on self-assessment.
Digital Government
Republican Senators Question the Security of Collecting Health Information from Airline Passengers
A group of Republican senators raised concerns over the CDC’s new order requesting select data from airline passengers to track the spread of COVID-19.
Acquisition
White House extends vaccine deadline for contractors
Federal contractors have until Jan. 4, 2022 to comply with White House vaccination requirements.
Digital Government
FCW Insider: November 4, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Cybersecurity
U.S. Blacklists NSO Group and 3 Others for Selling Spyware, Hacking Tools
The Commerce Department says the companies—three from allied nations—acted against U.S. national security interests.
Digital Government
2020 Census May Have Missed More Than 1.6M Residents
New research from the Urban Institute found that minorities were likely underrepresented in the population count, leaving some states with a windfall of federal funding while others came up short.
Modernization
Two-Thirds of Staff at VA Medical Center Considering Quitting After One Year With New EHR
A survey of staff at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center shows plummeting morale tied directly to the Cerner Millennium electronic health record platform.
Modernization
What Google’s New Cloud Security Authorizations Mean for Its Government Customers
Company officials called the updates the result of a significant engineering effort.
Cybersecurity
Former Microsoft exec DelBene tapped for top tech job at VA
Kurt DelBene, a former senior executive at Microsoft and husband of a Democratic congresswoman, is being tapped by the Biden administration to serve as CIO of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ideas
Is It Time to Ditch Daylight Saving Time?
While many will soon enjoy an extra hour of sleep, our children and pets will be the first to wake.
Cybersecurity
CISA orders civilian agencies to fix known flaws in six months
The binding operational directive issued Nov. 3 requires federal agencies to remediate known exploited vulnerabilities on their networks under specific timeframes is also intended to serve as guidance for the private sector and state and local governments.
People
Training the diplomats of the future
The pandemic pushed much of the department's training online and the Foreign Service Institute is looking to adapt some of the lessons of virtual education for the future.
Cybersecurity
CISA Orders Agencies to Patch Hundreds of Vulnerabilities Under Attack
Remediation of more than a third of the bugs the agency identified is due within two weeks.
Modernization