People
Federal court ruling sidelines acting head of Bureau of Land Management
A federal district court ruled Sept. 25 that Pendley's appointment as acting director of BLM was unlawful under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Cybersecurity
DHS watchdog weighs in on 2019 biometrics leak
Customs and Border Protection didn't adequately safeguard data that eventually leaked by subcontractor, a recent Inspector General report states.
Cybersecurity
IG: CBP Responsible for 2019 Biometrics Breach, Though No Federal Networks Were Compromised
A ransomware attack on a Customs and Border Protection vendor leaked facial images on more than 184,000 travelers—something agency security and policy should have prevented.
Cybersecurity
Watchdog Highlights Need for Better Cyber Coordination Across Government
A pair of reports point to confusion about the State Department’s new cyber bureau and the vacuum left behind by the eliminated White House cyber coordinator position.
Cybersecurity
GAO report calls for White House cyber director
Congress may have to step in to carve out a White House position charged with implementing protective cybersecurity measures.
Cybersecurity
Audit: HUD Doesn’t Ensure Sensitive Data It Shares Is Secure
A Government Accountability Office pointed to high turnover rates for top privacy and IT security officials as a reason for the agency's poor performance.
Cybersecurity
Acting DHS head offers alternative succession path
Chad Wolf, under fire in the courts and from watchdogs about the legal status of his appointment at the Department of Homeland Security, is offering an alternative explanation of his standing.
Digital Government
IG Finds ‘Significant Inaccuracies’ in Federal Acquisition Service’s Reporting of Small Business Contracts
This resulted from issues with the GSA-managed federal procurement data system.
Cybersecurity
Treasury needs better cybersecurity tracking
The Government Accountability Office wants Treasury to do more to track the progress of financial services industry cybersecurity mitigation efforts.
Emerging Tech
GAO: Majority of Agencies Use Connected Devices But Hurdles Remain
Agencies frequently run into cybersecurity questions and interoperability issues when implementing the internet of things.
Digital Government
Calls for Investigations, Resignations Ramp Up Over Allegations of Political Interference at Federal Agencies
Democrats are probing potential improper political influence at several different agencies across government.
Cybersecurity
Interior IG Team Used Evil Twins and $200 Tech to Hack Department Wi-Fi Networks
A team of hackers was able to gain access to Interior networks using publicly available equipment, open source software and a backpack.
Modernization
VA taps CARES Act funds for IT
The Veterans Benefits Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to reprogram about $250 million in COVID-19 emergency funding to modernize its troubled education benefits system.
Modernization
What to look for in DOD's coming spectrum strategy
Interoperability, integration and JADC2 are likely to figure into an updated electromagnetic spectrum strategy expected soon from the Department of Defense.
Digital Government
House Democrat Seeks to Hold IGs Accountable for Reviewing Agencies’ Reopenings
Most of the watchdog offices contacted by Rep. Connolly plan to conduct some form of review.
Digital Government
GAO Issues Definitive List of Most Important Federal IT Acquisitions
The Government Accountability Office scored more than 100 federal IT projects and offered detailed breakdowns of the most “essential mission-critical IT acquisitions.”
Cybersecurity
Cyber Commission Suggests Reforms to Allow Flexible Pay, Hiring to Boost Workforce
Prospective federal employees might be turned off by cybersecurity jobs being classified as IT.
Modernization
GAO rounds up mission-critical IT projects
An overview of 16 key IT projects finds some common risks and pitfalls.
Modernization
CMMC reciprocity guidelines are still a work in progress
The Defense Department is hoping to begin rolling its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program later this year, but questions remain about how reciprocity with FedRAMP will be handled.
Digital Government