Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Updated Tech

FBI raids government IT and cyber contractor Carahsoft

The FBI confirmed the raid but declined to provide further details.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Oversight

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.

Management

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.”

Management

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Tech

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.

Workforce

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.

Oversight

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.

Tech

Air Force Software Factory Looks to Unleash 'Chaos' on Civilian IT Shops

The Kessel Run group is currently developing a playbook that would make it easier for organizations across the federal government to adopt engineering and security best practices.

Tech

For Defense IT, Acquisitions Need to Be More Than 'Just in Time'

Contract planning and boosting small business in 2022 are top of mind for Debra Daniels, the vice procurement services executive for the Defense Information Systems Agency.