Digital Government
Agency Grades Get Worse in Latest FITARA Scorecard
Eleven agencies dropped and five agencies improved in Congress’ latest FITARA scorecard.
Cybersecurity
The IRS Doesn’t Know Who’s Accessing Its Most Sensitive Data
The tax agency also isn’t patching vulnerabilities on those systems in a timely manner, an audit found.
Digital Government
Senate Dems push administration on Census director
The Census Bureau has been without a confirmed director for almost a year, and 21 Senate Democrats are urging Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to put forward a qualified candidate.
Digital Government
Bill to preserve ZTE sanctions clears committee
An amendment designed to block Trump's proposed rollback of sanctions against Chinese telecom firm ZTE passed its first legislative hurdle.
Cybersecurity
House panel looks at ditching the SSN
In light of multiple large-scale data breaches in recent years, some on Capitol Hill are looking at accelerating the move away from widespread reliance on social security numbers in government systems.
People
Administration officials defend planned cuts to workforce benefits
A House panel wanted details on how Trump administration plans to attract a high quality workforce while pushing legislative proposals aimed at cutting benefits.
People
Hill Dems want VA's acting CIO out
A group of lawmakers, led by the senior members of the House and Senate committees that oversee the Department of Veterans Affairs, are worried about the agency's new acting CIO and the slow pace of senior tech hires.
Digital Government
Report: DOD's new health record system isn't suitable for use
MHS Genesis, the $3.4 billion commercial health record system being installed across the Department of Defense, was found to be operationally ineffective and unsuitable in a scathing internal oversight report.
Cybersecurity
Senator freezes DHS cyber nominee over Stingray info
Sen. Ron Wyden wants info on use of rogue cell-tracking Stingray devices in the nation's capital before he'll confirm a new cybersecurity leader at the Department of Homeland Security.
Cybersecurity
Auditor: EPA’s Not Securing Its Systems or Keeping Tabs on Contractors
Cybersecurity is a top management challenge for the environmental agency this year.
Digital Government
Oversight chairman agrees to subpoena DOJ after census hearing no-show
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) is moving to subpoena the Department of Justice after the head of its Civil Rights Division skipped a hearing on the 2020 census.
People
EPA's Pruitt grilled over management, ethics concerns
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt faced tough questions from lawmakers about questionable expenditures and management style.
Cybersecurity
Senate turf wars are stalling DHS cyber re-org, lawmaker says
Legislation to rename and reorganize the National Protection and Programs Directorate is meeting resistance from other lawmakers and committees concerned about their oversight purviews.
Cybersecurity
How tech supports CBP priorities
Customs and Border Protection is working on many fronts to field new technology, the agency head tells Congress.
Cybersecurity
Senator pushes for answers on scope of 2016 Russia voting probes
A DHS official acknowledged that more than 21 states could have been targeted by Russian hackers in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
Digital Government
House Dems push to subpoena Commerce over census question
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are seeking documentation behind a controversial decision made by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to include a citizenship question on the 2020 population survey.
Modernization
IRS’ 60-Year-Old IT System Failed on Tax Day Due to New Hardware
Congress and watchdogs have been warning the IRS to upgrade its systems for years.
People
IGs: IT and workforce woes plague multiple agencies
The first-ever report on governmentwide challenges from a group of Inspectors General found that management of IT systems and human capital are among the most frequently identified performance challenges facing agencies across government.
Digital Government
Security Gaps Could Let Hackers Edit Government Spending Data, Watchdog Says
New and old flaws in systems at a Treasury Department bureau added up to “a significant deficiency,” according to the Government Accountability Office.
Digital Government