People
Nearly 50% of Pentagon workers still teleworking
Safety protocols would allow up to 80% on-site, but there's no rush to recall remote employees.
Digital Government
FCW Insider: Sept. 17
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Digital Government
Employers in D.C. Region Expect Some Remote Work Into Mid-2021, Survey Finds
About 60% of respondents anticipated less than a third of workers would return to the office by early September because of coronavirus risks. Some are planning for a portion of staff to still be working remotely even next summer.
Policy
Bill Would Prompt USDA Intelligence Office to Probe Foreign Threats to America’s Agriculture
The legislation comes amid reports of Americans receiving and planting unsolicited “mystery seeds” reportedly arriving from China.
People
Details on federal hiring changes expected this week
Draft guidelines will detail how agencies will remove college-degree requirements and emphasize skill assessments.
Artificial Intelligence
Defense Innovation Board Adopts AI Testing, Digital Workforce Recruitment Resolutions
The board pushed the department to embrace remote work beyond the pandemic as a tool to attract more civilian talent.
Acquisition
Shakeup at CMMC board
The independent board charged with implementing the Defense Department's unified cybersecurity standard has new leadership as it announces new milestone hit.
Cybersecurity
Justice Department Charges 5 Chinese Nationals with Hacking More than 100 Companies
Two Malaysian businessmen also were arrested in Malaysia and face extradition in related charges.
Digital Government
Calls for Investigations, Resignations Ramp Up Over Allegations of Political Interference at Federal Agencies
Democrats are probing potential improper political influence at several different agencies across government.
Cybersecurity
Interior IG Team Used Evil Twins and $200 Tech to Hack Department Wi-Fi Networks
A team of hackers was able to gain access to Interior networks using publicly available equipment, open source software and a backpack.
Cybersecurity
CISA, FBI Warn Iran-based Threat Actor May Be Planning Ransomware Attacks
The attacker is targeting virtual private networks and cloud computing vulnerabilities, and has been present in victim networks for several months.
Modernization
Why the Pentagon’s JEDI Saga Is Far From Over
The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure procurement may be grounded until at least February, according to a new timeline agreed to by the government and Amazon Web Services.
Modernization
VA taps CARES Act funds for IT
The Veterans Benefits Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to reprogram about $250 million in COVID-19 emergency funding to modernize its troubled education benefits system.
Ideas
The Path Toward a Holistic Zero Trust Architecture
The Defense Department's anticipated guidelines should inspire more organizations to follow such a model, moving zero trust from a buzzword to reality.
Ideas
Strict Distancing Keeps Your COVID Risk Much Lower
Using public transportation, visiting a place of worship, or otherwise traveling from the home is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of testing positive, the researchers report.
Ideas
To Connect with Other, Call Instead of Texting
Many people embrace texting to avoid awkwardness.
Cybersecurity