Cybersecurity
Census Chief Assures Lawmakers IT and Cyber Risks are Under Control
But with less than a year until the 2020 count kicks off, the bureau still has little room for error, the Government Accountability Office warns.
Digital Government
High-Level Vacancies Are Weakening Agency Management and Oversight, Lawmaker Says
Rep. Gerry Connolly’s comments marked the release of a bipartisan report recommending ways agencies can deliver better on their missions.
Policy
Bipartisan Legislation Targets Chinese Firm Huawei
Congress wants to up its authority on emerging tech threats from China.
Digital Government
House Passes Defense Policy Bill with Provision to Block OPM-GSA Merger
The must-pass legislation also includes amendments granting paid family leave and protecting feds’ health insurance during shutdowns.
Modernization
Clock Starts on Naming Leaders, Beginning Work on Evidence Act
Agencies now have official guidance on how to meet the first phase of requirements under the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act.
Digital Government
Experts Tell Congress Facial Recognition’s Bias Problem May Be Here to Stay
Despite significant improvements in the tech’s overall performance, he said, “it’s unlikely” researchers will ever make systems equally accurate across racial and other demographic lines.
Cybersecurity
Securing the Internet of Things Requires Flexibility, Experts Say
The internet of things is evolving constantly, and so should the rules for keeping those devices secure, they said.
Digital Government
House Democrats Aim to Add Paid Family Leave for Feds to Defense Policy Bill
A proposed amendment to the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act would provide all federal workers with 12 weeks of paid family leave.
Artificial Intelligence
Congress Wants DHS to Study Disruptive Deepfake Videos
Bills introduced in the House and Senate aim to combat the forged media through comprehensive research and technological assessments.
Digital Government
OPM Still Lacks Legal Analysis of Proposed Merger with GSA
Lawmakers in both parties expressed outrage at the lack of documents provided to support the Trump administration’s proposal.
Policy
Congress Passes Bill That Forces IRS to Revamp Taxpayer Experience
The bill passed the House and Senate earlier this month and would usher in major changes to the way IRS engages with millions of customers.
Modernization
Lawmakers: OMB ‘Skirting the Intent of the Law’ With New Data Center Policy
The administration’s shift in focus to optimization, rather than closures, is not what lawmakers envisioned when they passed FITARA.
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.
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.
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.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is Too Dumb to Fully Police Online Extremism, Experts Say
Algorithms excel at routine tasks, but understanding a post’s context requires a human touch, former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos told lawmakers.
Cybersecurity
Bill Advances to Create Vulnerability Disclosure for Federal Internet of Things
Once established, federal agencies would have to make sure vendors were participating and in compliance before purchasing IoT-capable devices.
Digital Government