Nextgov

Pentagon to Connect Experimental Background Check App To Other Systems By Year’s End

The Defense Department is testing its nascent app on 1,000 security clearance applicants ahead of an October deadline to take over all investigations work.

Nextgov

A Government Shutdown Doesn’t Mean All the IT Shuts Down

Both baseline infrastructure and critical IT systems have to stay on during a shutdown, which means some IT staff won’t be furloughed.

Nextgov

If Feds Go Home For a Shutdown, Do Their Phones Go With Them?

A handful of potentially impacted agencies have updated their guidance since the last shutdown.

Nextgov

Homeland Security Delegation Visits Asia for Emerging Tech Ideas

An agency group is going abroad for ideas about 5G, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cybersecurity.

Nextgov

Report: Tech Shops Don't See Themselves Driving Change

Nearly 60 percent of civilian tech specialists cited insufficient funding as a major barrier to IT modernization.

Nextgov

Transportation Is Consolidating Its IT Contracts into a Single Vehicle

The Enterprise IT Shared Services contract will be available departmentwide but task orders will have to flow through the Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Nextgov

Updated Trusted Internet Connection Draft Lays Framework For Flexible Policy

The draft policy puts it on the Homeland Security Department to develop use case examples for how agencies can ensure safe connections wherever and however feds are working.

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Poor Security Could Leave U.S. Defenseless Against Missile Attacks

The details of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system are vulnerable to inside and outside threats, the Defense Department inspector general found.

Tech

FBI Faulted for Procedures for Smartphones that Forensics Can’t Scrub

Watchdog’s review of Strzok-Page text messages prompts changes in product selection.

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Federal CIO Previews 2019 Priorities

OMB will roll out more reskilling programs, tweak FITARA scoring and is looking at standards for automated decision-making, Suzette Kent said.

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White House Expects to Stand Up GEAR Center in 2019

But most other key aspects of the modernization research center are up in the air.

Nextgov

GAO Dismisses IBM’s JEDI Protest

With the U.S. Court of Federal Claims addressing a similar case, the Government Accountability Office dismissed IBM’s protest.

Nextgov

Congress Votes For Better Government Websites, Digital Services

The Senate passed the 21st Century IDEA Act, giving agencies one year to improve citizens’ digital experiences.

Nextgov

How DHS is Trying to Separate Quality Cyber Tools from Snake Oil

The department is investing in ways to do apples-to-apples comparisons of the many cyber solutions on the market.

Nextgov

Senate Bill Would Force Security Clearance Reforms

It also would require the director of National Intelligence to rethink the SF-86 form and process.

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Agencies Increase FITARA Scores

Eleven agencies increased their grade and 13 remained the same.

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CBP Officers Aren’t Deleting Data After Warrantless Device Searches, IG Says

An inspector general report found Border Patrol officers didn’t follow standard procedures during device searches, mostly because those procedures weren’t clearly laid out.

Nextgov

OMB Redefines Government's 'Crown Jewels'

A new policy memo expands the government’s guidance for protecting high-value assets to include every agency and office and broadens the definition of “value.”

Nextgov

IARPA Is Trying Keep Adversaries From Corrupting AI Tools

Could cyber adversaries be training the government’s artificial intelligence tools to fail?