Digital Government
FCW Insider: December 1, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Digital Government
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Contractor Vaccine Mandate in Three States
“This is not a case about whether vaccines are effective. They are,” wrote the judge.
Emerging Tech
Space Force Has a Plan for Training Its Troops. Now It Must Figure Out What They Need to Learn
The newest service can’t train the same way its sisters do. It needs a new simulated environment.
Modernization
Senate inches closer to FedRAMP legislation
Senators expressed concerns over potential conflicts of interest, high costs and inconsistent review processes during a roundtable meeting with federal officials and IT experts overseeing the General Service Administration’s cloud security authorization program.
Cybersecurity
CISA Seeks Protective Email Service that Tracks Agencies’ Security Compliance
The agency is ramping up efforts to exercise its new authorities to hunt for threats across the .gov enterprise.
Digital Government
Biden Selects Former Air Force Executive to Lead Pentagon Acquisitions
The latest nomination for DOD’s undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment comes almost a year into the role’s vacancy.
Digital Government
FTC Investigating Major Retailers Over Supply Chain Backlog
The Federal Trade Commission requested data from nine large U.S. retailers to gauge causes of supply chain bottlenecks and rising prices.
Modernization
SATCOM shift to Space Force stalled under CR
The U.S. Space Force’s plans to absorb all of the military’s satellite communications, including nearly 700 uniformed personnel from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, is delayed along with the rest of the military’s appropriation as Congress preps for a second continuing resolution in fiscal year 2022.
Digital Government
Report: U.S. Workforce Falling Behind Competitors in Digital Skills
Experts advocate better school curriculums and tax breaks for reskilling existing workforces.
Acquisition
Biden taps former USAF buyer to lead DOD acquisition
The White House has nominated former Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante to be the Pentagon’s top buyer.
Digital Government
FCW Insider: November 30, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Digital Government
Biden Administration Delays Vaccine Mandate Penalties Until 2022
OMB and OPM officials said agencies should extend the counseling portion of enforcement of President Biden’s vaccine mandate through the end of the year, citing recent progress in the federal workforce’s vaccination rate.
Cybersecurity
Commerce Proposes Third Party Audits as Criteria in Supply Chain Rule for Software
The Government Accountability Office says CISA should also update its approach to communications sector reliability by securing the supply chain for information and communications technology.
Cybersecurity
CISA mulls plan to safeguard federal civilian email
According to contracting documents, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is looking to take a leading role in identifying and defending against threats against federal civilian executive branch email systems and networks.
Emerging Tech
FAA Warns Of Holiday Laser-Light Display Dangers To Pilots
2021 broke records for the highest number of annual laser strikes, which can incapacitate pilots and endanger aircraft passengers.
People
White House asks agencies to delay consequences for vaccine mandate violations
Agencies have the power to decide how to discipline unvaccinated feds, but the White House is encouraging them to go beyond education, counseling and letters of reprimand until after the holidays.
Digital Government
Getting Ready for the Next Budget Showdown
As in some years past, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding a potential government shutdown.
Cybersecurity