Federal Newscast

Thursday federal headlines – September 24, 2015

In today's news, the Defense Information Systems Agency says its cyber defense headquarters has been involved in seven named operations since it began in Januar...

Jory Heckman@jheckmanWFED

September 24, 2015 7:57 am

2 min read

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

The Defense Information Systems Agency says its cyber defense headquarters has been involved in seven named operations since it began in January. During those operations, some troops were deployed to other areas for cyber missions. The cyber defense headquarters was set up to take over operations and defensive work from U.S. Cyber Command. It is currently in initial operating capability and assumes between 14 and 19 tasks from CYBERCOM. The headquarters will reach full operating capability in 2016. (Federal News Radio)

The Treasury Department is looking for more feedback on USASpending.gov. Treasury Fiscal Assistant Secretary David Lebryk said the invitation to submit comments will likely come out in the next week or so. Treasury wants to make more improvements to USA Spending, as it continues to help agencies implement the DATA Act. Lebryk also said there’s still more to do to finalize governmentwide data standards. (Federal News Radio)

The FAA weighs in on the papal visit to the United States. It declares New York City, Philadelphia and Washington as no-drone zones while the Pope is here. The restrictions last until Sunday. Pope Francis departs Washington this afternoon and heads to New York. (WTOP)

Two tech research firms say they’ve traced an advanced, persistent cybersecurity threat to a member of the Chinese army — a reconnaissance officer named Ge Xing. Threat Connect and Defense Group used a Defense Department intrusion analysis to pinpoint the so-called Naikon worm. The malware targets commend and control networks. The revelation comes on the eve of a visit to the United States by Chinese President Xi JinPing. (ThreatConnect)