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.
Artificial Intelligence
NIST Asks for Input on Emerging Tech Trends and Risks for Congressional Study
Topics of interest include artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, autonomous delivery technologies—and more
Digital Government
Labor Dept Issues Final Rule Requiring Federal Contractors to Pay $15 Minimum Wage
The ruling is expected to impact 327,300 workers.
Digital Government
Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Oracle to Bid on Pentagon’s Next Multibillion-Dollar Cloud Contract
The department expanded the pool of bidders for its much-anticipated JEDI replacement.
Digital Government
Bid Protests Decrease for Third Straight Year
Industry filed 12% fewer protests in fiscal 2021 than fiscal 2020, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Cybersecurity
Report: 20% of Defense Contractors at Risk for Ransomware Attack
The report measured the cybersecurity protocols undertaken by top defense contractors.
Artificial Intelligence
DIU Issues Step-by-Step Guide for Defense Stakeholders to ‘Responsibly’ Use AI
The framework is meant to promote transparency and accelerate the Pentagon’s adoption of trustworthy commercial technologies.
Cybersecurity
CISA Launches Government Cybersecurity Incident and Vulnerability Response Playbooks
The playbook stems from an executive order issued in May.
Ideas
Working to Secure the Technology Supply Chain
From security-first design to safe device disposition, an industrywide initiative called Compute Lifecycle Assurance is making technology more secure for all users.
Policy
Tech Association Pushes Long-Term Approach to Semiconductor Shortage
The group issued several recommendations as part of a Commerce Department request for comment.
Digital Government
Federal Contractor COVID-19 Vaccine Deadline Pushed Back to January
The deadline aligns with the Biden administration’s other new vaccine mandates, but is more than six weeks after federal employees are required to receive their shots.
Modernization
Building a Cloud-Savvy Workforce May Mean Rethinking Degree Requirements
Government and industry officials question how they can keep cloud positions filled when they require various degrees and certifications.
Emerging Tech
Lockheed Martin and Verizon to Partner to Develop 5G Tech for the Military
The companies recently connected a military communications network to a commercial 5G network.
Digital Government
Eleven States Challenge Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate
The Justice Department and EEOC “have already determined that COVID vaccines can be mandated by employers,” said an OMB spokesperson.
Cybersecurity
Senate Committee Chair: ‘Ransomware Has Changed the Equation’
The recent attacks on food and gas supply chains shifted how Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Gary Peters prioritizes cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity
Microsoft: SolarWinds Hackers Ramping Up Attacks Through Resellers
The company said supply chain attacks by Russian government hackers over the last four months exceed those they’ve been tracking by all nation-state actors over the last three years.
Ideas
How Struggling Government Contractors Can Navigate Uncertain Times
Your management team will be measured on how you navigate this environment.
Cybersecurity
National Cyber Director: Liability Should Be Part of the Equation for Public-Private Collaboration
Cyber leaders’ plan to emphasize collective defense over offense hinges on industry’s willingness to share information with government in real time.
Digital Government
GSA Needs Users to Test SAM.gov Ahead of DUNS Transition
Unique Entity IDs are being issued now and the General Services Administration team wants help testing the system that assigns and manages the new identifier.
Cybersecurity