Digital Government

FCW Insider: December 10, 2021

The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.

Digital Government

Social Security Enjoys Broad Customer Satisfaction As It Overhauls Telephone System

The Social Security Administration has been angling to streamline and automate its call center for quicker customer service.

Emerging Tech

Defense Spending Bill Contains ‘Most Significant’ UFO Legislation Since 1960s

The legislation calls for details on reported health issues connected to UAP sightings, ‘transmedium objects,’ those that hover near military nuclear sites—and more.

Digital Government

GAO: Pentagon Needs Goals to Improve CMMC Framework

The watchdog made several recommendations in an audit of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification effort.

People

Vaccination rates tick up slightly among federal employees

The number of vaccinated feds has increased, although there are still thousands of pending exception and extension requests to the mandate.

Digital Government

Defense Spending Could Rise, Wall Street Analysis Say

Ten months into the Biden administration, predictions of flat budgets are evaporating amid inflation and Congress delays.

Modernization

Pentagon adds new top AI role

The Pentagon is creating a new position to lead its artificial intelligence efforts across the enterprise.

People

The Biden war on administrative burdens

Steven Kelman calls attention to new efforts to reduce red tape.

Policy

Biden Order Will Make Federal Operations Carbon-Neutral by 2050

Agencies have just six more years before they must stop buying polluting cars.

Digital Government

FCW Insider: December 9, 2021

The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.

Emerging Tech

Senator Doubles Down On Data Privacy, Sends Letter to CFPB

Sen. Ron Wyden asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to tighten its rules regarding data broker sales.

Acquisition

Biden executive order calls for 65% drop in federal government emissions by 2030

A new White House executive order looks to leverage the purchasing power of the federal government to support clean energy goals, and sets ambitious targets for a carbon neutral government by 2050.

Policy

How China Is Digitally Challenging US Central Command

The Pentagon may have “CENTCOM fatigue,” but Beijing is pushing into the Middle East, warns the command’s communications chief.

Cybersecurity

Cyber in the 2022 defense bill

As has been the case for the past few years, cyber governance provisions were featured in this year's must-pass defense policy bill moving through Congress, but a bipartisan breach notification measure was dropped from the bill -- to the chagrin of its supporters.

Cybersecurity

House Passes NDAA Without Cyber Incident Reporting Legislation

The bill still includes what the House Armed Services Committee referred to as the widest empowerment of CISA since SolarWinds.

Emerging Tech

ACLU Calls for Halt of Homeland Security’s Use Of Facial Recognition Technology

The civil rights organization said that the biometrics technology can lead to discriminatory arrests based on race.

Emerging Tech

Space Force Moves to Speedily Buy Constellation of Free-Flying Satellites

The newest military branch is “continually looking to engage with industry to find ‘go faster’ solutions,” according to a division director.