Cybersecurity

White House cyber office makes new workforce-focused hire

Daniel “Rags” Ragsdale is joining the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, following work in the private sector, Defense Department and cyber research space.

Modernization

The ‘future is at risk’ for government’s biggest civilian payroll provider, study finds

The National Finance Center — a part of the Agriculture Department — provides payroll services for over 170 agencies, but a lot of them aren’t happy with the services they’re getting.

Digital Government

How the Agriculture Department is ‘hardwiring’ customer experience into its work

The department’s chief customer experience officer, Simchah Suveyke-Bogin, told Nextgov/FCW that her primary goal is building capacity for customer experience.

Artificial Intelligence

What will the federal government do with generative AI?

Federal employees are going to see AI tools show up in cloud-based productivity suites sooner rather than later, but it's not clear yet how the trending tech will impact public-facing digital services.

Cybersecurity

Experts warn of financial challenges and gaps in cyber implementation plan 

From a crucial lack of federal funding to longstanding issues with the cyber workforce, experts told Nextgov/FCW that the new cybersecurity implementation plan features major “financial potholes.”

Cybersecurity

Lawmaker advocates 'all-of-the-above' approach to fix cyber worker shortage

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity panel said a greater focus on cyber education in K-12 schools could help fill the roughly 700,000 vacant cyber jobs across the country.

Modernization

TSP participants sue agency over ‘botched’ recordkeeper transition

A class action lawsuit filed last week alleges that the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program repeatedly failed to pay out participants’ withdrawal and loan requests for months following the transition to a new recordkeeping vendor.

Digital Government

How DISA plans to use its workforce to combat China and global adversaries

The Defense Information Systems Agency’s Workforce 2025 framework is designed to help the agency attract and retain a workforce that “adapts to the ever-changing landscape of IT and cyberspace.”

Digital Government

Debt Defaults are Not Shutdowns, But Both Raise Money Fears

Question number one that companies in the government market want answered is how payments for their work on contracts will, or will not, happen in a debt default situation. No one knows for sure.

Policy

Congress Doesn’t Know How to Count the Number of National Security Professionals and That’s a Problem

Instead of addressing data security or IT policies around protecting classified information, Congress goes after numbers.

Cybersecurity

House Panel Advances Bills to Boost CISA’s Oversight of Open Source Software, Cyber Training

The two measures, which passed the committee with bipartisan support, would give CISA authority across DHS and the federal government.

Policy

Survey: 45% of Gov Employees May Walk if Agencies Reduce Remote Work Flexibility

The survey suggests more than half of government employees prefer to work for an agency that offers hybrid and remote flexibility.

Cybersecurity

Hack on Transportation Systems Exposes Employee Information

The Department of Transportation breach exposed the data of 237,000 current and former employees.

Artificial Intelligence

Senate Bill Looks to Train AI-Ready Workforce, Focus on Risk Mitigation

The bipartisan legislation, introduced last week, aims to help public sector employees catch up with advancing AI technologies.

Ideas

A Brief History of Debt Ceiling Crises and the Political Chaos They’ve Unleashed

There are political as well as economic risks to debt standoffs in Congress.

Policy

Feds Could Be Fired at Any Time for Any Reason, Under a Bill That Was Just Reintroduced

The bill also would abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board and threatens to reduce former federal employees’ retirement benefits if they file “frivolous” appeals of adverse personnel actions.

Artificial Intelligence

Biden Administration Examining How Companies Use AI to Surveil Employees

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking public feedback on companies’ use of artificial intelligence and automated systems to monitor employees.

Artificial Intelligence

FTC Issues Warning About Generative AI Misuse

The agency noted that firms should not harm or deceive consumers with the new tools or get rid of staff in charge of artificial intelligence ethics.