Defense

House, Senate China hawks concerned White House will let TikTok stay in the US

Key Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate warned that tweaked language in a new Commerce Department rule could lay the groundwork for TikTok’s proposal to store U.S. users’ data in the country.

Management

Congress needs ‘private sector buy-in’ to address cyber workforce shortage

Organizations are working to educate and train the next generation of professionals to fill critical cybersecurity vacancies, but private sector firms need to change their hiring practices to integrate this pool of talent into the workforce. 

Oversight

Democrats call YouTube ‘extremely irresponsible’ for election misinformation rollback

YouTube’s decision to stop removing false content about previous U.S. elections “threatens to weaken our democracy,” several top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said in a letter to the platform’s leaders. 

Management

VA official expects Oracle Cerner to deliver on $10B EHR contract despite layoffs

While lawmakers and officials expect work to continue as planned, an insider warned that layoffs at Oracle Cerner targeted a clinical team that worked to implement new electronic health record systems.

Tech

House Lawmakers Coalesce Around Bipartisan Fixes to VA’s Electronic Health Records System

The top Democrat and Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have started bipartisan negotiations to address the Veterans Affairs Department’s troubled rollout of its new electronic health record system.

Management

GOP Lawmakers Call for Congressional Ban on Members Using TikTok

A coalition of 17 House and Senate GOP lawmakers called for an amendment to both chambers’ rules to bar members of Congress from using TikTok for official purposes.

Management

VA’s New Cyber Apprenticeship Program Will Focus on Training for Underserved Veterans

The VA’s initiative, set to begin this summer, “is really designed to attract that diverse and inclusive cybersecurity talent,” a department official told Nextgov.

Tech

Apple VP Named New Director of Defense Innovation Unit

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced that the Defense Innovation Unit director will report directly to him as part of a leadership “realignment.”

Tech

Lawmakers Move to Elevate Leadership of Energy’s Cyber Office

Citing the threat posed by foreign adversaries, four Republican senators are pushing for a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary to helm Energy’s office tasked with cybersecurity.

Tech

Senators Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Federal Data Center Security

The bipartisan legislation seeks to protect federal data centers from physical and digital threats by establishing minimum requirements to enhance the security of these critical facilities.

Management

Veteran Deaths Lead Lawmakers to Call for VA to Renegotiate Oracle EHR Contract

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester said that VA should “negotiate an entirely new contract” with Oracle Cerner following the revelation that the EHR system has resulted in the deaths of four veterans.

Tech

Report: Increased Remote Work for Many Governments Also Raises Cyber Risks

Roughly one-third of government employees believe “their actions don’t matter when it comes to security,” according to a new survey.

Defense

Pentagon Office Tracking National Security Impact of Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

The director of the Pentagon’s office tasked with connecting relevant tech companies with private capital said in an email that the office is “monitoring national security-related impacts” stemming from the prominent startup lender’s demise.

Tech

VA Announces Winners of $20M Challenge to Prevent Veteran Suicides

The 10 winners of the VA’s Mission Daybreak challenge developed innovative solutions that leveraged technology, artificial intelligence and mobile apps to help reduce the number of veteran suicides.

Tech

Almost 60% of GAO's Privacy Recommendations Since 2010 Are Unresolved

A watchdog report found that federal agencies have only implemented approximately 41% of recommendations related to the protection and security of sensitive data as of December 2022.

Workforce

Report: Pentagon Personnel Use Unauthorized, Unsafe Apps on Work Devices

The Defense Department’s inspector general found that unsanctioned apps downloaded onto government-issued mobile devices “could pose operational and cybersecurity risks to DOD information and information systems.”

Workforce

VA Centers Talent Recruitment and Remote Work in Its Operations Revamp 

The agency’s chief people officer described efforts to attract high-skilled workers affected by layoffs across the tech sector and expand telework opportunities to modernize tech-centric operations.

Workforce

NSA Bills Itself as a 'Soft Landing Place' for Laid off Tech Workers

The intelligence agency has been quietly moving over the past few months to recruit talented workers affected by the wave of layoffs at tech companies and startups.

Workforce

Lawmakers Propose a Federal Reserve Corps for Digital Talent

The bipartisan legislation seeks to address the government’s tech and cyber needs by enabling industry professionals to bring their skills and experience to the federal level.

Tech

The VA’s Initiative to Recruit Laid Off Tech Workers is Paying Off, Official Says

Ongoing efforts to recruit high-skilled professionals displaced by layoffs across the tech sector are helping to fill a host of tech-related vacancies in the department.