Cybersecurity
House lawmakers join effort to remove flagged Chinese tech from telecom networks
The companion proposal to a Senate bill would allocate an additional $3 billion to the Federal Communications Commission to help fund its ‘rip and replace’ reimbursement program.
Emerging Tech
VA launches new platform to help veterans identify and report scams
Scammers have increasingly targeted veterans and their beneficiaries, particularly after the PACT Act expanded benefits and health services for retired service members.
Digital Government
Lawmakers look to extend COVID-19 telehealth med exemption for veterans
A bipartisan House bill would allow VA clinicians to prescribe veterans with controlled medications through the targeted extension of a pandemic-era waiver.
People
DARPA hires Twitter whistleblower to serve as its CIO
Peiter “Mudge” Zatko — the former security head of then-Twitter who alleged that the platform was overlooking critical security flaws — will be returning to DARPA after almost a decade away in the private sector.
Policy
Bipartisan bill pushes DHS to review terrorist risks from foreign-based mobile apps
The legislative proposal calls out several China- and Russia-tied apps for particular attention.
Defense
Air Force seeks secure cloud app to manage flights for govt VIPs
The new tool is critical “due to significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified in the existing scheduling system,” the branch says in a notice for industry.
People
Lawmakers look to clarify electronic medical device use in secure facilities
A Senate bill would charge an “Electronic Medical Device Governance Board” with reviewing agencies’ policies regarding the use of digital healthcare instruments in highly-classified facilities.
Modernization
VA launches revamped burn pit registry with automatic enrollment
The upgraded database of veterans exposed to toxic pollutants and trash burn pits came after “extensive feedback” showed the platform was difficult for many retired service members to navigate.
Artificial Intelligence
Congressional agencies report progress on AI adoption
The House Administration Committee said in the new report that it is also focused “on applying the House’s AI guardrails to the acquisitions process.”
Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI tool is deployed aboard the International Space Station
Booz Allen’s large language model application was uploaded to the space station’s national lab as part of “a forward-leaning payload experiment,” according to the firm.
Emerging Tech
New bill pushes VA to examine how blockchain can enhance its work
Legislation from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., would require VA to explore the benefits and risks of using distributed ledger technology.
Cybersecurity
New tech, personnel will help CISA with coming rush of cyber incident reports
CISA said “an automated mechanism” could help it better process and review a coming deluge of new cyber incident reports but could not be accounted for in its current budget.
Acquisition
Treasury’s funding request for IRS cloud tech far outpaces other civilian agencies, report says
Treasury’s request is the largest out of a combined federal civilian total of almost $9 billion for cloud-related programs in their fiscal year 2025 IT budget requests.
Artificial Intelligence
FCC proposes requiring advertisers to disclose AI in political ads on radio, TV
The proposal advanced over the opposition of its Republican commissioners, who warned that the measure risks interfering with the Federal Election Commission’s efforts to regulate AI-generated content in political ads.
Policy
HHS reorg seeks to streamline tech, cyber policy
A new assistant secretary post will consolidate management of technology, data, AI and health IT.
Modernization
Cost overruns, delays plague VA’s new integrated financial management system
The rollout of VA’s modernized financial management and acquisition system has been affected by delays in the department’s new electronic health record system, since “multiple deployments” depend on the EHR’s launch at medical facilities.
Modernization
VA’s planned restart of EHR rollouts draws lawmaker concern
“I think we are far from ready to endorse further go-live activities,” Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., said about VA’s plan to resume deployments in fiscal year 2025.
Policy
Biden looks to preserve tech, cyber legacy with veto threat
Experts see continuity in tech policy from the Biden administration to a possible Kamala Harris presidency, with possible divergence on some national security and antitrust issues.
Artificial Intelligence
Mitigating AI risks requires global cooperation, officials say
The U.S. is looking “to try and build international consensus around a set of norms” for countries’ uses of AI, a State Department official said on Thursday.
Policy