Wednesday federal headlines – November 25, 2015

In Wednesday's Federal Headlines, auditors from Williams, Adley & Company found bureaus at State are not required to tell the CIO about system threats and that ...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

  • The State Department’s Office of Inspector General has found some gaping cybersecurity holes at the department. Auditors from Williams, Adley & Company, an independent public accounting firm hired to conduct a cyber inspection, found bureaus at State are not required to tell the CIO about system threats and that IT managers are allowed to add and remove devices from the department’s network also without notifying its tech chief. State officials have agreed with the audit’s recommendation to review the CIO’s role within the department. (State Department OIG)
  • The Obama administration is pushing federal agencies to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, specifically, it wants a reduction of 41.8 percent by 2025. It said these carbon reductions will save taxpayers up to $18 billion in avoided energy costs, as well as increase the share of electricity the federal government consumes from renewable sources to 30 percent. The White House said agencies plan to do this by reducing energy use in their buildings, making their vehicles more efficient, using clean energy sources like wind and solar and employing energy savings performance contracts. (White House)
  • NASA is finalizing a temporary rule aimed at simplifying the accounting procedures it requires for contractors. A notice published in the Federal Register today will make final the change adopted in August, which increased the NASA capitalization threshold from $100,000 to $500,000. The hope is this will reduce the administrative burden on contractors associated with financial reporting of NASA property in their custody. (Federal Register)
  • The Army has introduced a competition that aims to encourage government, academic and commercial organizations to develop cyberspace situational awareness technology for tactical commanders. Russ Fenton, a telecommunications specialist at the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence, said the program’s goal is to create new methods for commanders to visualize and measure cyber risks. The branch is scheduled to issue a request for proposals in December and assess technology offerings in March before it awards potential OT contracts by April. (Army)
  • The Veterans Affairs Department has a new plan to overhaul the Veterans Choice Program. VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee the department will build a healthcare network between the VA and non-VA community providers in three phases. It will also streamline the referral process for veterans who are eligible for private care. The VA now has seven different ways it can refer veterans for outside care. The department said it needs $421 million to pay for IT systems redesign in fiscal 2016.
  • The Defense Department is facing a $17 billion deficit in its fiscal 2017 budget planning. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said the two-year congressional budget deal left the Defense budget lacking $14 billion. The other $3  billion dollars comes from President Barack Obama’s decision to keep 5,500 troops in Afghanistan through 2017. Work said crucial budget decisions will be made by Dec. 2. (Federal News Radio)

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Related Stories