Digital Government
Legislation Would Expand IG Subpoena Power
The bill would allow inspectors general to compel former federal officials to provide testimony for investigations.
Cybersecurity
GAO to Explore the Government’s Role in Cybersecurity Insurance
The Treasury Department runs a program to insure the insurers, but there’s a limit to the backstop.
Acquisition
NASA looks to change course on cybersecurity with new contract
NASA's inspector general says the agency's "fragmented" IT approach has left it with an overly risky cybersecurity posture. Meanwhile the agency is preparing a solicitation for a wide-ranging cybersecurity management contract.
Acquisition
DOD oversight report tracks pandemic spending
A recent inspector general report looks at contractors who received COVID-19 reimbursement under a $1 billion allocation in the CARES Act
People
CDC mask guidelines and the federal workforce
The White House-led Safer Federal Workforce Task Force is incorporating recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates on COVID protocols into their guidance for agencies looking to accommodate vaccinated workers.
Acquisition
Is it time to test the limits -- and potential -- of expanding CMMC?
Calls for a certified baseline of cybersecurity seem to increase with every cyberattack. Is the CMMC model the right template for a universal and independently verifiable way to protect supply chains?
Cybersecurity
Can NTSB-style oversight work for cybersecurity?
President Joe Biden's new cybersecurity executive order calls for a safety review board to examine the attack against SolarWinds as well as other significant cybersecurity incidents moving forward.
Cybersecurity
Watchdog: 'Uncertainty' may undermine CBP's enforcement of social media policy
The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security found divisions among senior Customs and Border Protection officials about the agency's social media posting policies.
People
Watchdog report finds OPM didn't always alert employees of COVID cases
The Inspector General at the Office of Personnel Management found that the agency wasn't requiring mask-wearing and failed to notify employees of COVID cases during the height of the pandemic.
Acquisition
With Biden's equity agenda in play, experts talk about making procurement more inclusive
Government procurement practitioners discussed equity and procurement at the Code for America summit, as leaders across the federal enterprise look to measure and expand inclusiveness in public spending.
Emerging Tech
DOD Not Prioritizing Development of GPS Alternatives, GAO Says
Despite known vulnerabilities with GPS tech, the department treats developing other position, navigation and timing technologies as an “afterthought,” officials said.
Cybersecurity
TSA's role in pipeline security looks like a weak link to some in government and industry
Questions about whether TSA is rightly positioned to oversee cybersecurity for natural gas and oil pipelines are resurfacing in the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.
Digital Government
Pandemic IG: ‘This Office Was Almost Set Up To Fail And Yet We're Succeeding’
Brian Miller reflects on a year of coronavirus oversight.
Cybersecurity
CISA's Wales backs new response, recovery fund
Brandon Wales, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the funding would go toward expanding CISA's incident response teams with additional contractors and developing new technologies to be used by those teams.
Acquisition
Lawmakers press White House for space acquisition chief
House appropriators lamented the absence of a dedicated space acquisition chief, challenging the new administration to make a nomination soon.
Modernization
Lawmakers Say It’s Past Time OMB Issued IDEA Act Guidance
After two years in limbo and a pandemic forcing more adoption of digital services, House lawmakers want to see real guidance issued in the next 45 days.
People
Impeachment witnesses talk public service
Four former government officials who played key roles in the first impeachment of former president Donald Trump discussed their experiences during a Public Service Recognition Week event.
Digital Government
Pentagon Watchdog to Examine How the U.S. Military Handles UFOs
The inspector general launched an evaluation into “actions regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” just before a similar report is due to Congress.
Digital Government
Experts Examine Accountability, Transparency Improvements in Government
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing discussed recent proposals to strengthen the authority of inspectors general and place some limits on acting officials.
Modernization