Policy

Software Companies Push Senate to Weaken Lowest Price Contracting Rule

Making agencies prioritize the lowest price is leading to poor contracting choices, a software trade group says.

Digital Government

Here’s What Treasury’s Data Lab Found in 10 Years of Federal Contracting Data

Year after year, 6 to 8 percent of contract spending is obligated in the final week of the fiscal year.

Policy

Bill to Block Feds' Personal Email, Social Media Access Advances

The bill would authorize agency leaders to block any website for cybersecurity reasons without negotiating with unions.

Cybersecurity

Government’s Kaspersky Ban Takes Effect

Pentagon, GSA and NASA contracts will now officially prohibit Kaspersky software.

Policy

White House Lays Groundwork for Improving Government Customer Experience

The Office of Management and Budget’s new Circular A-11 provides guidance to federal agencies in establishing customer experience frameworks.

Modernization

VA Creates Special Office to Direct $16B Health Record Overhaul

The House Veterans Affairs Committee also unveiled the lawmakers who will track the project from its new subcommittee.

Cybersecurity

The Chinese Government Likely Knew about Spectre and Meltdown Bugs Before the U.S.

Fixing hardware and software vulnerabilities requires global information sharing—and that includes U.S. cyber adversaries.

Artificial Intelligence

U.S. Needs a National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, Lawmakers and Experts Say

The government is well-positioned to flag specific research areas that would have the biggest impact on national interests.

Emerging Tech

Defense Security Service Is Trying to Overhaul the Entire Security Clearance Process

And it turned to an alternative contracting method to find nontraditional background check companies and ideas.

Cybersecurity

Huawei Pushes Back Again on FCC Proposal That Would Hurt Its Business

FCC officials say the Chinese telecom poses a national security threat to U.S. networks.

Cybersecurity

Survey: Most Feds Who BYOD Do It Without Agency Approval

It’s hard for agency security officials to protect networks when they don’t know what’s connecting to them, experts say.

Cybersecurity

Trump Administration Considering Regulation as a Tool to Compel Good Cyber Behavior

Regulatory actions will join other tools, such as indictments and sanctions, in the U.S. effort to promote cyber norms.

Digital Government

For the Pentagon Management Chief, Reform Begins with Good Data

Pentagon Chief Management Officer Jay Gibson offers a view of the path to reform in an exclusive interview with Nextgov.

Digital Government

Congress Studies the 3 Rs: Re-org, Re-clearance, Reauthorization

The bill that would name and shame hackers that attack U.S. targets also advanced.

Cybersecurity

Banning Software Isn’t the Route to Cybersecurity, Nuclear Security Agency Official Says

The government should be focused on mitigating the danger any software can pose, rather than banning software from China and elsewhere, the NNSA CIO says.

Artificial Intelligence

Here’s What the White House’s AI Committee Will Focus On

The committee created two groups, one dedicated to machine learning and another for research and development priorities.

Policy

The Tech Industry Is Fighting Trump—and Mostly Losing

Legal opposition and strongly worded remarks could not defeat the president’s travel ban.