IT Contracting
OPM awards $149M cyber, network operations support contract
The Office of Personnel Management wants to more heavily lean on cloud-based technologies and a zero trust approach.
House passes agency software licensing bill
Saving on software licensing appears to also be on the radar of the new DOGE caucus.
GSA plans new federal employee travel system with $930M IBM contract
The General Services Administration expects 124 civilian agencies to transition to the new system by June 2027.
FBI’s Carahsoft raid comes amid allegations of price-fixing
The leading IT reseller is in the middle of an ongoing False Claims Act case involving multiple vendors.
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FBI raids government IT and cyber contractor Carahsoft
The FBI confirmed the raid but declined to provide further details.
Generative AI’s fleet-footed evolution is causing quandaries for federal acquisition
Government leaders and federal contractors said the rapid development of generative AI makes it difficult for agencies to determine what types of tools it needs.
Senators look to mitigate risks in AI procurement
Sens. Gary Peters and Thom Tilis introduced new legislation that would codify safety measures in government contracts for artificial intelligence products and services.
Senators call for VA to tighten performance standards in new health records contract
Three lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for the department to “add accountability and oversight provisions” in a renegotiated one-year contract with Oracle Cerner.
HHS removed Login from its grantee payment system after funding theft
Hackers used data from a federal contracting hub to steal funding from seven grantee organizations in an HHS breach that occurred last year. Both HHS and GSA say that Login.gov was not compromised or connected to the theft.
VA budget bill maintains EHR funding but imposes additional ‘reset’ oversight
The bipartisan FY24 budget package allocates over $1.3 billion for the agency’s new electronic health record system but makes 25% of that funding contingent on enhanced transparency around VA’s ongoing EHR “program reset.”
SSA taps White House tech official for CIO post
Marcela Escobar-Alava will be starting as the CIO of the Social Security Administration on Monday.
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Proposed contractor cyber reporting rule sets a ‘significantly problematic’ bar, industry groups say
The groups, which represent tech and cybersecurity companies sometimes contracted by the government, say the proposals are too rigorous and inconsistent.
Experts warn that OMB’s AI guidance could slow federal adoption of the emerging tech
Commentators say proposed definitions of “rights-impacting” and “safety-impacting” use cases could wind up saddling low-impact AI programs up with high-impact controls.
GSA is at a ‘critical juncture’ to salvage faith in TTS, agency watchdog warns
GSA’s inspector general says that it’s “trying to prevent the next Login.gov” — referencing a bombshell oversight report on GSA’s single sign-on service issued earlier this year.
IRS starts the bidding for $1.9B IT services recompete
The tax collection agency is undertaking this recompete amid its broader push to overhaul the entire tech environment, which includes systems first stood up in the 1960s.
OPM puts data at the center of human capital modernization
Contractors should focus on data standards as they develop solutions, a senior Office of Personnel Management official says.
National intelligence strategy calls for new partnerships to harness emerging technologies
Federal agencies must collaborate with private sector partners and allies to better understand the implications of emerging technologies, according to the new strategy.
Third-party contractor software exploited in attack on HHS data
An official with the Health and Human Services Department said attackers gained access to data by exploiting a major vulnerability found in the popular MOVEit file transfer service.
What Motivates Remote Workers to Protect IT Assets?
Researchers found that fear of what could go wrong is the primary driver in getting remote workers to protect IT systems.
OPM Watchdog Seeks a Background Search Tool to Help Investigations
The Office of Personnel Management’s Inspector General asked industry to offer insights about a potential online search and retrieval service to help with its investigations.
