Digital Government
FCW Insider: June 27
Top stories, quick hits and other updates from FCW's reporters and editors.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Grapple with Improving Election Security While Respecting States’ Rights
Experts say paper ballots are the way to go, but pushed back against efforts to federalize elections.
Modernization
Shifting Priorities, Metrics Lead To Relatively Flat FITARA Grades
The latest scorecard showed agencies are making progress in key areas. But new metrics and a few backslides brought most grades back down.
Artificial Intelligence
Non-Discriminatory AI Requires a Human Touch, Experts Say
Interdisciplinary teams that include social scientists can help curb bias, experts told Congress.
Cybersecurity
Report: Code Responsible for Equifax Breach Downloaded 21 Million Times Last Year
The situation highlights the challenge of securing open source software, which underlies virtually every IT system in government.
Digital Government
'People Are Crying When They Come Into Work:' Unions Protest OPM-GSA Merger
Lawmakers said they will try to amend an appropriations bill to block the acting OPM director from following through on her threat to lay off 150 agency employees.
Modernization
Federal CIO issues new data center strategy
Suzette Kent told a House panel that the new policy "focuses on enabling aggressive closure and ensuring efficient operations."
Cybersecurity
Senate turns up a decade of federal cybersecurity failure
Some of the biggest civilian agencies have failed to act on internal cybersecurity audits dating back multiple years, a Senate report found.
Cybersecurity
Agencies Are Leaving Sensitive Data Vulnerable to Hackers, Congress Says
Amid growing threats from China, Iran and Russia, most agencies are struggling to put in place even the most basic cybersecurity measures, according to congressional researchers.
Digital Government
The EIS transition: 5 things to think about
The transformative $50 billion governmentwide telecommunications contract Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions gives agencies the chance to escape the "like-for-like" trap.
Ideas
What Would 5G Technology Mean For Government?
The next big leap forward for cellular phone service is approaching.
Modernization
OMB Updates Data Center Optimization Initiative
The new policy bans agencies from budgeting resources toward new or expanded agency-owned data centers without permission from the Office of Management and Budget.
People
House approves measure to block OPM furloughs
An appropriations bill passed in the House includes multiple provisions to prevent OPM and GSA from merging and blocks any reduction in force arising from a budget gap at the human resources agency.
Policy
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge on State Code Copyrights
Georgia holds a copyright for its annotated state code, which sells for $404, and sued to block a website from distributing free copies of the document.
Digital Government
FCW Insider: June 26
Top stories, quick hits and other updates from FCW's reporters and editors.
Ideas
The Problem With Diversity in Computing
Tech’s discriminatory culture might never change, no matter how many women and people of color are invited into the room.
Policy
White House Wants to Know How Tech Can Help Prevent Veteran Suicides
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking for the public to weigh in on its veteran suicide prevention strategy.
Artificial Intelligence