People

21 House Republicans ask Trump to rescind workforce orders

A group of 21 Republican lawmakers wants the Trump administration to reconsider three executive orders on federal unions that they say undermine existing labor laws.

Cybersecurity

Senate approves Krebs to lead NPPD

After running the operation for almost a year, the temporary head of the National Protection and Programs Directorate is set to be sworn in as the group's official director.

Cybersecurity

Treasury hits infosec vendors with Russia-related sanctions

The U.S. government on Monday added to a growing list of organizations and individuals sanctioned and charged with assisting Russia in cyberattacks against the United States.

Cybersecurity

Trump gets cyber diplomacy and workforce advice from agencies

State, Commerce and DHS delivered on President Trump's 2017 executive order.with policy guidance on cyber diplomacy and building a cyber workforce.

Cybersecurity

Judge upholds government ban on Kaspersky products

A federal judged ruled that a ban on Kaspersky products by DHS and a similar ban contained in the 2018 defense bill are constitutional.

Modernization

Will an IT update revamp government?

Reimagined tech and modernization funds can accomplish only so much if policies and processes don't keep pace.

Cybersecurity

According to OMB, 3 out of 4 agencies is risking cyber attack

Two familiar problems -- old tech and the lack of a qualified cyber workforce -- were blamed for leaving many agencies vulnerable to modern-day hacking groups.

Acquisition

The evolving role of the CIO

The CIO job has come a long way since the Clinger Cohen Act, but modernization, politics and bureaucratic sprawl continue to shape the position in ways both good and bad.

Cybersecurity

DHS issues new directive to protect high-value assets

The Binding Operational Directive announced May 25 is designed to bring a "more focused, integrated approach" to protecting federal systems from cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity

Looking forward to a more-flexible CDM

Agency officials hope the new CDM DEFEND vehicle will eliminate mismatches between cybersecurity solutions and legacy tech at agencies and promote better communication between vendors and program managers.

Cybersecurity

What has DHS learned from phases 1 and 2 of CDM?

Halfway through a four-phase implementation, feds running the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program want to retool the process to ensure the back half runs smoother than the front half did.

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

Agencies poised to hit CDM dashboard goal

Activity around a critical federal cybersecurity program is heating up, with DHS and Congress hoping to see major progress on key goals by summer 2018.

Cybersecurity

DHS releases cyber strategy

The five-year policy plan articulates the Department of Homeland Security's cyber role as almost entirely defensive.

Cybersecurity

House Dems look to salvage cyber coordinator post

Amid reports that the White House has junked its cyber coordinator position, a dozen lawmakers in the House have introduced legislation to restore the role.

Modernization

Commerce will revisit ZTE sanctions at Trump's request

The U.S. government will revisit harsh sanctions against Chinese telecom firm ZTE, despite years of complaints by U.S. officials that the communications giant violates trade laws and may facilitate Chinese espionage.

Cybersecurity

NIST seeks 'lightweight' encryption standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology wants public input on the best way to design evaluation criteria dictating new encryption standards for small computing devices.

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

Cyber deterrence is about more than punching back

Politicians and experts routinely call for a strategy that imposes costs on nation states for cyberattacks, but going on offense isn't always the answer.

Digital Government

Senate Intel offers election security guidelines

A new report on election security by the Senate Intel committee calls for paper backups for state voter registration databases, risk assessments for voting machine manufacturers and better sensor technology for state and local election systems.