Cybersecurity
CISA Official Offers Details into China-Led Attacks of U.S. Managed Service Providers
As technology advances, so do the complexities of the cyber threats targeting the nation.
Emerging Tech
DHS Buys Sensor Tech to Measure Wait Times and Traveler Flow at Airports
The agency will use it to gain a “granular view” of passenger flow through international customs.
Modernization
6 Lessons from Government Customer Experience Professionals
Officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Transportation Security Administration and Office of Federal Student Aid explained what’s worked in improving customer experience.
Modernization
TSA’s Cloud Future Will Be A Hybrid of Agency-Approved Services
The agency released its Cloud Strategy 2.0, which calls for a mix of public and private cloud, but only from vendors pre-cleared by TSA.
Cybersecurity
Attorney General, DHS Secretary Call on Facebook to Build Encryption Backdoors
“Security enhancements to the virtual world should not make us more vulnerable in the physical world,” they said in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Modernization
Legacy Systems Held DHS' Biometrics Programs Back. Not Anymore.
The cloud-based HART system, which will house data on hundreds of millions of people, promises to significantly expand the department’s use of facial recognition and other biometric software, as well as its partnerships with external agencies.
Emerging Tech
A Federal Privacy Board Is Reviewing DHS’ Airport Facial Recognition Programs
An agency shared new details around its recent observations of one TSA biometrics pilot—and what it aims to assess in a comprehensive report it’s generating over the course of the next year.
Emerging Tech
DHS Awards Blockchain Contract to Fight Forgeries in Immigration
The agency awarded a phase one contract that tasks an Austrian company with providing a new level of interoperability across the Homeland Security Department’s siloed efforts.
Emerging Tech
CBP to Deploy Anti-Drone Bubbles Along U.S.-Mexico Border
The agency is fielding six counter-drone systems along the southern border and might soon deploy more, according to the vendor.
Cybersecurity
6 Cyber Bills You Might Have Missed
The bills aim to strengthen the Homeland Security Department’s cybersecurity efforts and help the energy sector improve its digital defenses.
Modernization
Google Says Google Translate Can’t Replace Human Translators. Immigration Officials Have Used It to Vet Refugees.
Documents shared with ProPublica show that immigration officials have been told to vet refugees’ social media posts using Google Translate. Language experts caution even students against using the service.
Cybersecurity
DHS Needs a Better Grasp of Its Cyber Workforce, Watchdog Says
The agency doesn’t fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of its cyber personnel, and it’s more than two years behind on developing a workforce planning strategy, the inspector general found.
Digital Government
DHS is Struggling to Coordinate Its Sprawling Research Efforts
Poor oversight and shoddy data management have left the DHS Science and Technology Directorate unprepared to invest in the future, according to the agency's inspector general.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity and the Road Ahead
Federal agencies are focused on locking down access to their systems.
Digital Government
High Impact Agencies Release Customer Experience Action Plans
More than two dozen high impact service provider agencies shared their current and future investments.
Cybersecurity
DHS Wants Industry to Help Improve Pay for Cyber Personnel
By rolling out a “market-sensitive” pay structure and supporting more flexible career paths, the department hopes to make its cybersecurity jobs more appealing.
Cybersecurity
McConnell Voices Support for $250 Million in Election Security Funds
The bill marks “a great step forward,” but states will need more consistent investment to make long-term improvements, according to CISA Director Chris Krebs.
Cybersecurity
CISA Chief Calls on Cybersecurity Community to ‘Stop Selling Fear’
Director Chris Krebs wants government and industry to get a broader community of people involved in the fight against digital threats but not by fearmongering.
Podcasts
Critical Update: The Defender’s Dilemma
Soon the Homeland Security Department will be able to compete for cyber talent without the shackles of the federal government’s rigid paytable.
Artificial Intelligence