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OPM on Track to Approve Special Salary Rate for IT Specialists
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is on track to approve a government-wide Special Salary Rate (SSR) for IT specialists, pending communications with other Federal agencies, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official.
Tagged OPM, Special Salary Rate, SSR, VA
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GAO Hammers IRS on Legacy IT Planning, Cloud Steps
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is taking the Internal Revenue Service to task on a range of IT improvement fronts, including planning for how to get rid of legacy systems, and how to make sure the agency’s uptake of cloud-based systems meets Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy objectives.
Tagged GAO, IRS, Legacy Systems
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VA Taps Alan Greilsamer to Serve as Deputy CIO, Account Manager for Health
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has tapped Alan Greilsamer to serve as the deputy chief information officer, account manager for health in the Office of Information and Technology (OIT).
Tagged Alan Greilsamer, VA
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NSF Eyes $28M Funding for Open-Source Ecosystems
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a solicitation for the development of new open-source ecosystems, with the potential for $28 million in funding awards.
Tagged NSF
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Survey: IT Pros Wary of ChatGPT ‘Malicious’ Use
ChatGPT, the chatbot technology launched by OpenAI late last year to much fanfare for its ability to create highly realistic narratives, may also end up delivering advantages to hackers who need to upgrade their phishing email pitches, according to new research released by BlackBerry.
Tagged ChatGPT
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GAO Prods State Dept. on Compliance Data for ITAR Defense Exports
A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that the U.S. Department of State is not able to readily use International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data to assess trends or risks related to the export of defense services.
Tagged data management, GAO, State
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Alternative Data Storage Technologies Still Years Away, GAO Says
While concern in some quarters of the tech world continues to grow about how to keep pace with growing data storage demand, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in a new report that exotic alternatives – think options like synthetic DNA – to fill the gap are probably still years away.
DoD CDO Spirk: People, Tech, and Culture Spurring Data-Driven Transformation
The Department of Defense (DoD) is using data to accelerate the Pentagon’s digital transformation, and DoD Chief Data Officer David Spirk said that a focus on people, technology, and culture has spurred that transformation.
DoE Needs Work on Managing Data Analytics, Protecting IP, and AI
The Department of Energy (DoE) could improve how it manages its fraud, waste, and abuse practices by improving access to the data used by the agency and its contractors for data analysis, as well as using all tools available to keep the department’s research secure, according to a Nov. 26 DoE Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.
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CISA Issues Revised Cloud Security TRA
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) today issued an updated version of its Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture (TRA) that serves as guidance for Federal civilian agencies for secure migration to cloud services.
Tagged CISA, Cloud, TRA
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Naval Postgraduate School Partnering with Microsoft for Emerging Tech
The Navy Postgraduate School (NPS) has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Microsoft to look to integrate and utilize emerging technologies in service of the warfighter and national security, the Navy announced May 2.
Tagged Cloud, CRADA, Microsoft, Naval Postgraduate School, NPS
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DISA Appoints JWCC Program Manager
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has appointed Ryan McArthur to lead its program office for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (JWCC), according to McArthur’s LinkedIn.
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U.S. CYBERCOM Details Malware-Focused Defensive Operation
Earlier this month, U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) conducted a wide-ranging defensive cyberspace operation focused on sweeping for known malware, and intended to “highlight and enhance CYBERCOM’s interoperability with partners.”
3.4M Cyber Pros Needed to Close Global Workforce Gap
New research from (ISC)² sheds light on what it would take to close the longstanding cyber workforce shortage, and the answer is a big number. According to new research from the nonprofit, the cybersecurity profession needs to grow by 3.4 million people to close the global workforce gap.
GAO: Feds Could Improve Collaboration When Helping SLTTs With Ransomware Attacks
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Federal agencies are successfully helping state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments prevent and respond to ransomware attacks; however, there is still room to improve collaboration. The GAO offered three recommendations for Federal agencies to improve collaboration.
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Defense Secretary Austin Signs Off on JADC2 Strategy
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed and approved the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) strategy document last month, marking an official start to the marathon to implement the data-sharing strategy across the military, the Pentagon said at a June 4 press conference.
GAO: OMB Data Center Definition Change Creates Cyber Vulnerability
A 2019 tweak by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the definition of a data center – and thus how the Federal government proceeds with its Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) aimed at sharply cutting the number of data centers that Federal agencies operate – is having the effect of leaving the government more vulnerable to cyberattacks, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official concurred today.
Adapting to New Tech and Cybersecurity Key to Data Center Optimization
As agencies have continued to close data centers by participating in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI), adapting to new technologies and cybersecurity must be front of mind for these closures, a Government Accountability Office expert said today.
Tagged David Hinchman, DCOI, OMB
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