Management

How Space Force is raising its cyber defenses

The newest service is building in-house cyber teams but also needs to work more closely with U.S. Cyber Command, a deputy chief of space operations says.

Workforce

Exit interview: Kemba Walden talks advancing cyber — and becoming a role model — in government

The former acting national cyber director highlighted federal enterprise cybersecurity, cyber workforce issues, her experience as a leader and what it was like being the first Black person and first woman to helm the White House office.

Tech

Why federal efforts to protect schools from cybersecurity threats fall short

K-12 schools are especially vulnerable to cyberattack because they lack the cybersecurity expertise and funding essential to protecting students' sensitive information.

Tech

Research institutions must better secure sensitive data from foreign adversaries, experts say

To prevent foreign nations from gaining access to sensitive research data, U.S. institutions need to “have a higher sense of internal security” when it comes to protecting critical information.

Management

20 federal agencies miss the deadline for implementing cyber incident tracking requirements, watchdog says

The Government Accountability Office found that just three federal agencies were in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget’s advanced cyber event logging requirements.

Workforce

OPM launches a cyber rotational program for feds

The new rotational program is an outgrowth of 2022 legislation backed by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Tech

Okta breach includes theft of data on nearly all help desk users, including some feds

The company revised its earlier reporting on the scope of the breach, but said that data on users of high-impact federal and DOD systems was not compromised.

Tech

Employee data hit in Idaho National Lab cyberattack

The lab confirmed that it has been in touch with federal law enforcement agencies concerning the attack on its servers.

Tech

FCC wants to improve cyber protections for schools, libraries

Faced with a growing number of cyberattacks on school districts nationwide, the agency announced a three-year pilot program to gather data on the best cyberdefenses.

Defense

DOD strategy warns emerging tech is ‘at the forefront’ of information threats

The Pentagon’s updated strategy for operations in the information environment calls for “a cultural shift” to protect national security interests.

Defense

The Biden administration announces its new acting cyber director, as nominee awaits Senate vote

Drenan Dudley, the deputy national cyber director for strategy and budget, will helm the ONCD until the Senate confirms a permanent leader.

Management

Biden’s cyber director nominee clears Senate committee

As Biden’s pick for national cyber director — Harry Coker — makes his way through the Senate, the current acting director nears her last day.

Workforce

OPM head previews coming cyber and IT hiring flexibilities

The personnel agency is also gearing up to recruit AI workers into the government as part of a talent surge called for in the recent AI executive order.

Workforce

The cyber workforce gap is growing

Despite a significant increase in the number of people entering the cyber field in 2023, demand is still far outpacing that supply.

Workforce

What are federal agencies doing to fill out the cyber workforce?

New numbers released Monday show that employers posted over 572,000 cybersecurity jobs in a 12-month period starting in September 2022.

Management

State’s cyber overhaul bets big on zero trust to tackle emerging threats

The State Department started at the “bottom of the barrel” when the White House’s 2021 cybersecurity executive order was released, according to the agency’s chief information security officer.

Tech

New CISA, NSA guidance highlights pain points in identity and security management

A public-private working panel recommends vendors invest more in security measures like multifactor authentication.

Workforce

House passes bill to limit education requirements for federal cyber roles

The push for skills-based hiring is already underway in the executive branch, where the Office of Personnel Management is reworking qualification standards for some government jobs.

Tech

New cyber rules aim to standardize requirements for federal contractors

The proposed rules would create new information sharing and incident reporting requirements.