DHS employees sharper at spotting phishing attempts

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

• How about some good news relating to government cybersecurity? A recent audit by the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Inspector General showed employees are getting better at recognizing phishing attempts. However, KPMG, the independent firm contracted for the audit, found some workers failed to secure sensitive documents. (OIG/DHS)

• The Senate confirmed Eric Fanning as Secretary of the Army. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) had placed a hold on his confirmation to protest the Obama administration’s idea to close Guantanamo Bay. Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work said he pleaded with Roberts to use the legislative process to express his views rather than deprive the Army leadership during a time of war. (Federal  News  Radio)

• Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Frank Kendall expressed his pleasure with the Pentagon’s Better Buying Program. Sea Power Magazine reported Kendall’s comments before an audience at the Sea Air Space expo that DoD lowered the average cost growth for defense acquisition programs by 5 percent from 2012 to 2015. He did not comment on Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) version of the defense authorization bill which would eliminate his position. (Seapower Magazine)

• A group of senators wants the Office of Management and Budget to explain why its DATA Act pilot program is behind schedule and off target. Senators asked OMB Director Shaun Donovan how he’s addressing concerns that the pilot is too narrow and might not collect enough information to meet requirements of the law. The DATA Act calls for a two-part pilot. One, involving grants, would be handled by Health and Human Services. The other for contracts, would be spearheaded by OMB. (Federal News Radio)

• Agency IT managers said they’re still playing catch-up with the Internet of Things. Homeland Security Department Deputy Chief Technology Officer Robert Palmersaid agencies are trying to find ways to better deploy commercial IoT devices to the field more quickly. But they’re having a hard time keeping up. One NSA leader said his agency looked at IoT technology, and three months later found the company that owned it had moved on to something else. (Federal News Radio)

• The General Services Administration has expanded its Sustainable Facilities Tool. It’s an interactive website run by GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to show agencies how to build, buy, and operate green. It’s added a product database with details on products’ energy usage to help buyers make better sustainable purchases. (GSA Blogs)

• The second report card day for agencies on their progress in reforming how they buy and manage technology is better than the first one. But not by much. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was set to hold a second hearing Wednesday to highlight how agency has implemented the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act or FITARA. Federal News Radio obtained an early look at the report card showing most agencies continue to earn an overall grade of ‘C’ or ‘D.’ (Federal News Radio)

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