Digital Government

Stringrays, Blocked Nominations and a Ton of Tech Bills

Congress is on a roll of tech-focused bills, including one that adds cyber positions to an agency.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Bar Government Encryption Backdoors

The move comes as Attorney General Jeff Sessions is pushing for legislation to allow access to encrypted communications.

Modernization

Bill Would Set 2-Year Deadline for Agencies to Get Digital

The 21st Century IDEA would require agencies to have a digital option for all paper-based forms and in-person interactions.

Policy

Congress Is Quietly Nudging NASA to Look for Aliens

The space agency hasn't funded the search for extraterrestrial intelligence for 25 years. Could that soon change?

Cybersecurity

House Panel Approves More Military Cyber Support for Critical infrastructure

The pilot program would allow the Pentagon to lend cyber troops to the Homeland Security Department.

Cybersecurity

Planned Food Stamp Recipients Database Sparks Hacking Fears

Critics say the database is unnecessarily expansive and would be a major draw for hackers.

Cybersecurity

Senate Wants More Cyber Intelligence

The Senate Sergeant at Arms is looking for an automated cyber intelligence platform that does it all.

Digital Government

Net Neutrality Fight Returns to the Hill

Plus lawmakers want to know what the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is doing about Equifax and what 's delaying the Veterans Affairs Department's health record purchase.

Cybersecurity

You May Have to Wait 2 Years to Get That Security Clearance

The metrics fail to capture the real-world impact of the backlog, which includes careers put on hold and the loss of top talent, says Raytheon's Jane Chappell.

Modernization

Lawmakers Question the Office of American Innovation’s Activities and Ethics

A pair of senators wants to know who the office is meeting with, what it’s working on and how much it’s spending.

Modernization

Tech Firms Ask Congress to Intervene on Pentagon JEDI Contract

A group representing 80 technology companies is asking Congress to make sure the cloud procurement is a transparent process.

Cybersecurity

House Appropriations Panel Should Step Up Cyber Oversight, Member Urges

The panel should hold its first cyber-specific budget hearing this year, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger says.

Digital Government

Scott Pruitt’s New Rule Could Completely Transform the EPA

It would not only undermine 30 years of clean-air regulations, but radically restrict what science the agency is allowed to use.

Cybersecurity

DHS Plans To Formalize Bug Disclosure Policy

The policy will make it easier for computer researchers to share hackable vulnerabilities they find in Homeland Security systems.

Policy

Lawmakers Want to Boost Their Tech-Savvy By Reviving Defunct Office

They want to reopen the Office of Technology Assessment, a research group that once kept Congress up to date on emerging technology.

Cybersecurity

State Reauthorization Elevates Cyber Office Tillerson Once Shuttered

The House bill closely tracks a standalone bill to restore and elevate the cyber coordinator’s office.

Digital Government

Lawmakers Want Answers on FDIC Data Breaches and Stingrays

And a new bill pushes for the naming and shaming of foreign hackers and government officials who attack the U.S.