People
How Trump’s OPM director wants to attract tech talent after months of workforce cuts
OPM Director Scott Kupor wants to bring on new feds with cutting edge skills, but the government’s recent flood of layoffs and resignations could complicate that effort. With a government shutdown ongoing, too, the administration is threatening more layoffs.
People
DHS intelligence office sent deferred resignation offers to shed staff in recent months
The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis is working to incrementally reduce the size of its workforce, following plans for mass cuts that faced severe pushback from stakeholders over the summer.
Cybersecurity
Shutdown could erode cyber defenses by sidelining critical staff, experts warn
A government shutdown would also occur in parallel with the lapse of a critical cyber information-sharing law that could create legal liabilities for companies who send threat data to feds.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
‘Widespread’ breach let hackers steal employee data from FEMA and CBP
A Citrix vulnerability — suspected to have led to firings of multiple FEMA technology staff — enabled the breach, which let hackers pilfer data from FEMA servers connected to states at the southern border.
Artificial Intelligence
OPM adds OpenAI to its employees’ computers
The government’s personnel agency is taking advantage of the General Services Administration’s OneGov deal with OpenAI.
People
Treasury, GSA partner to reward feds who ID wasteful contract spending
Parts of the program could eventually expand beyond the Treasury Department.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
Suspected Chinese operation aims to recruit former feds with job postings, research shows
Researchers at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies uncovered a network of likely fraudulent China-linked websites operating as far back as 2021. One has very recently tried to recruit former federal workers and policy experts.
People
Noem terminates 24 FEMA workers for failing to address cyber vulnerabilities
An internal FEMA email obtained by Nextgov/FCW ordered all agency employees to change their passwords “due to recent cybersecurity incidents and threats.”
People
Transportation launches administrative consolidation effort
Whether the push to consolidate IT and HR systems will include layoffs isn’t yet clear.
People
Navy CIO Jane Rathbun announces departure from civil service
Rathbun told Nextgov/FCW earlier this year that one of her priorities as CIO was transforming the U.S. Navy into a more data-centric organization.
Breaking News
People
IRS is canceling its layoff plans, will ask some it fired or pushed out to return
After pushing 26,000 employees out, the tax agency is scrambling to find enough personnel to carry out its duties.
People
Lawmakers look to ease educational requirements for federal cyber workforce
New legislation from Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, attempts to expand the U.S. government’s pool of cyber talent by promoting skills-based hiring.
People
US spy chief announces plans to shrink ODNI
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the agency will shrink by over 40% as part of a 2.0 restructuring that includes a focus on “ending the weaponization of intelligence.”
People
The Trump administration is considering notifying probationary employees they were fired for cause, actually
The proposal comes despite a new audit finding 99.5% of the 7,300 fired IRS probationers had received fully successful performance ratings, or no ratings at all.
People
Trump administration seeks permission to finalize mass layoffs at HHS
Many of the department's RIFs have been held up by a July court order.
Exclusive
Artificial Intelligence
Trump administration hopes AI can mitigate staffing losses, federal CIO says
Gregory Barbaccia, who was named the federal chief information officer just a week into the new administration, said one of his priorities is learning how to do more with less.
Updated
People
Layoffs canceled at federal contractor oversight office, but questions remain about employee reassignments
Employees at the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs received a notice that they will get new job assignments rather than be removed from the civil service.
Artificial Intelligence
Education and workforce training form core of national AI strategy, Labor innovation head says
The new Talent Strategy’s tactics aim to upskill the U.S. workforce for artificial intelligence-based roles.
Cybersecurity
Former and current officials clash over CISA’s role in US cyber defenses at Black Hat
CISA’s communications chief backed the narrowing of the agency’s scope, while a former NSA leader warned that shrinking the federal cyber workforce risks weakening U.S. defenses.
Defense