The Fed Mission Success Round Up: Cybersecurity, Automation, Modernization, and More in Federal Agencies

Weekly News Round Up
Written By Fareeha Khan

Welcome to the Fed Mission Success News Round Up brought to you by Makpar. Each week, we will provide a summary of actionable news and insights to help aid in overall mission success for Federal agency IT decision-makers and influencers.

NIST Suggests Agencies Accept the Word of Software Producers Per Executive Order

Federal procurement officials should err on the side of accepting declarations software vendors make about their products, in part to address concerns about cost and the protection of intellectual property, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

CISA's Public-Private Cyber Defense Group Helped Speed Log4j Mitigation, Experts Say

A panel of cybersecurity pros testified that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's collaborative operational body helped speed up response times and provide critical real-time insights on the Log4J software vulnerabilities to a vast range of companies and Federal agencies.

More Companies May Have to Get A CMMC Assessment After All

When the Pentagon initially announced the “CMMC 2.0″ changes late last year, DoD planned on “bifurcating” requirements for the approximately 80,000 contractors that handle controlled unclassified information (CUI). At the time, officials said only half of those 80,000 manage CUI that is truly sensitive if it were to fall into the hands of U.S. adversaries. While those contractors would still be required to get a third-party assessment, officials anticipated the other 40,000 managing less risky data would only need to submit a self-assessment. But during a Feb. 10 town hall, Deputy DoD CIO David McKeown said further analysis has shown all 80,000 will require third-party assessments.

FDA’s Modernization to Focus on Agency Mission and People

Automation is a key pillar in the Food and Drug Administration’s digital transformation plan, with user experience at the forefront of modernization efforts.

RPA Helps IRS Make Fundamental Shift in Procurement, Finance Operations

The Internal Revenue Service is using software robots to enhance the agency’s technology to improve its finance and procurement functions.

Selfies Now Optional For ID.Me Verification

After the IRS walked back the proposed requirement that taxpayers use ID.me's photo verification service, the company announced it would offer a new option to government customers – one that verifies identity without using automated facial recognition.

USDA, Justice Launch Website to Report Anticompetitive Behavior in Agriculture

The Departments of Justice and Agriculture launched a new portal for civilian agricultural workers to report instances of anticompetitive practices within the industry. The website, farmerfairness.gov, is part of the larger mission of the Biden-Harris administration to promote fair pricing and competition.

IRS Suggests Need to Disclose Crypto Exchange Information to Law Enforcement

Sharing information with law enforcement about the beneficial ownership of companies trading cryptocurrencies and related entities is one of several ways the Internal Revenue Service could help combat cyber attackers that use decentralized ledger technology as a cloak for their escape, according to the bureau.

Biden Admin Announces $5 Billion to Fund Nationwide Electric Vehicle Charging Network

The White House on Thursday announced $5 billion in funding that will be allocated for states to build out a national electric vehicle charging network. The goal of the funding, made available through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed jointly by the Energy and Transportation Departments, is to promote the use of electric vehicles and boost the nascent industry.

Legislation to Expand Federal Contracting Opportunities Reaches President’s Desk

The legislation, Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions, or PRICE Act, aims to improve government contracting opportunities for small businesses but could have a major impact on governmentwide procurement. 

From the Makpar Blog …

In case you missed it, here are our latest blog posts:

Fareeha Khan
Previous

Insights Into Federal Agile Transformation Q&A: How to be an Agile DevOps Leader
Next

Privacy Versus Security: How Government Leadership can Strike the Right Balance