Cybersecurity

White House official fires back at McCain over cyber hearing 'stunt'

Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert criticized Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for marking a White House no-show at a hearing with an empty chair.

People

White House sketches plans to staff its modernization efforts

A new solicitation sets the stage for a new advisory structure to help the Office of American Innovation modernize federal IT.

Modernization

Little progress on IT governance, says NASA IG

An oversight body found little change in IT governance at NASA four years after a critical report and wonders if the space agency can effectively oversee its IT assets.

Cybersecurity

Whitehouse: 'I can't find a point of entry' to talk cyber with Trump administration

Senate Democrat wants to know whom he needs to talk to in the administration to coordinate on cybersecurity legislation.

Cybersecurity

Sessions pushes back on proposed House surveillance reform

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a Senate panel that the administration is open to FISA reform, but doesn't want to saddle the FBI with a warrant requirement.

Cybersecurity

DOJ sees a path to legal hacking

A legal framework for information security research is gaining traction, said a senior Justice Department official, but the guidance is broad, with specific policies emerging from the private sector.

Modernization

IRS pushes back on data protection criticisms

Officials cite lower rates of fraudulent tax returns as a mark of improving taxpayer security, but external hacks and internal reviews demonstrate the agency still faces challenges.

Cybersecurity

DHS mandates new security standards for federal networks

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring agencies to use new email and web security protocols.

Digital Government

GAO denies Equifax bid protest

The protest had resulted in a controversial (and now suspended) bridge contract from the IRS for Equifax's identity management and taxpayer fraud protection services.

Acquisition

IRS suspends Equifax contract

After a tough congressional hearing and news of more infosec woes at Equifax, the IRS suspended a $7.2 million contract with the credit monitoring agency.

People

White House tech adviser: 'Way too many acting CIOs'

White House adviser Chris Liddell acknowledged that the federal government is moving too slowly in filling permanent CIO positions.

Digital Government

House panel skeptical of DOD clearance plan

Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee say they need more detail from the Department of Defense on its plan to take over large parts of the security clearance process.

Cybersecurity

DOJ rebrands encryption pitch

A senior Justice official wants the private sector to adopt "responsible encryption" that allows law enforcement access via warrant to encrypted communications.

Acquisition

Lindsey Averill

Associate Vice President, The Ambit Group

Acquisition

Priya (Ishu) I. Krishna

Information Technology Specialist and CADE-2 Requirements Program Manager, Internal Revenue Service

Acquisition

Anna-Ruth Beckman

Consultant, The Clearing Inc.

Acquisition

Freshta Mohammad

Senior Security and Portfolio Analyst in support of the Environmental Protection Agency, PPC

Acquisition

Ruchika C. Croall

Director, Enterprise Program Management Office, Information Assurance, Department of Veterans Affairs

Cybersecurity

Audit chides FDIC for sloppy breach protocols

An audit found that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's protocols for responding to a data breach weren't followed, even as the agency has faced dozens of security incidents in the past two years.

Cybersecurity

House panel looks to curtail spy powers

Draft legislation before the House Intelligence committee puts new restrictions on the use surveillance powers to target Americans, but privacy advocates are looking for more reforms.