Federal Newscast

Top DoD intelligence official retiring

Peter Musurlian@PMusurlianWFED

February 22, 2024 1:33 pm

< a min read

Agencies will soon have free access to a Microsoft feature that could help detect cyber attacks. Starting this month, Microsoft will make advanced logging capabilities available to all federal agencies at no additional charge. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency worked with Microsoft in recent months to make the feature available to the government. Microsoft said it will retain agency network logs for 180 days at no additional charge. Lawmakers have previously criticized Microsoft for profiting off of network logging features that are typically needed to identify cyber incidents.
(CISA, Microsoft unveil progress on free logging capabilities for federal agencies - Federal News Network)

The General Services Administration is starting to research the future of federal telecommunications services. Agencies are still a year or more away from fully transitioning to the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions or EIS telecommunications vehicle, but that isn't stopping GSA from asking what is next. In a new request for information, GSA is seeking industry feedback as it develops the Next Generation Network Infrastructure strategy and the associated acquisition initiative. The EIS contract expires in July 2032. GSA is seeking answers to 38 questions, covering a host of topics, including what the telecommunications market will look like in the future and a list of services that will no longer be offered in the next 10 to 15 years. Responses to the RFI are due by March 15.
(GSA's RFI kicks off planning for 2032 next generation telecom program - SAM.gov)

The U.S. Special Operations Command is seeking feedback from small businesses. SOCOM is hosting an acquisition executive small-business forum to assess the state of its small business programs. SOCOM wants to better understand the challenges in working with the command. It also wants to hear suggestions on making the process of doing business with the command easier. Participation from a variety of industries is encouraged. In-person attendance is limited to 25 people, and virtual attendance is limited to 150 people. The forum will take place on March 28, right after the conclusion of the small-business boot camp.
(SOCOM wants to hear from small businesses - SAM.gov)

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to manage the size of its largest-ever health care workforce. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is taking a more targeted approach to hiring. But it is telling its leaders to rescind tentative or final job offers to candidates only as an “action of last resort.” In cases where it must rescind a job offer, VHA said it will make every effort to place candidates in other jobs at other facilities. VHA now has a record 400,000 employees, after it saw a hiring surge last year. VA’s press secretary said there are no plans for a hiring freeze or reduction in the VA health care workforce.
(VHA tells leaders to rescind job offers only as a ‘last resort’ to manage size of health care workforce - Federal News Network)

A top Defense Department intelligence official is retiring. Ronald Moultrie will step down from his position as under secretary of defense for intelligence and security at the end of this month. During his time overseeing DoD’s intelligence apparatus, Moultrie was charged with reviewing the military’s security practices in the wake of the Discord leaks. He also testified about military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena. Moultrie’s government career spans 44 years. He previously served in positions throughout the intelligence community, including as Director of Operations at the National Security Agency.
(Upcoming departure of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie - Defense Department)

Agency ethics officials are reviewing financial disclosures from federal executives after about 400,000 people submitted their forms last week. The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) said one-in-five civilian executive-branch employees, from about 140 agencies, are required to complete a confidential financial disclosure. OGE said any executive-branch employee, whose duties would affect the financial interests of outside companies or persons, may have been required to file. In the coming weeks, agency ethics officials will review these confidential financial disclosure reports. If they find a potential conflict between the employee’s official duties and a financial interest, they will ask the employee to take action to include everything from selling a holding, resigning from an outside job or avoiding certain government work. OGE said these efforts are vital to protecting the integrity of government programs and operations.
(Federal ethics officials reviewing 400,000 financial disclosure forms - Office of Gov't Ethics)

Taxpayers in a dozen states may soon get the chance to try out a free, online tax-filing platform that is run by the IRS. The agency said it has completed internal testing of what is called its "Direct File" system, and will allow more taxpayers to use it to file their federal tax returns. The IRS said it will accept new users for short, unannounced windows of time, to manage the amount of traffic on the Direct File platform. The agency is generally limiting testing to taxpayers who live in states without an income tax.
( - IRS)

The U.S. Central Command is paving its own data narrative. CENTCOM is about to release its data strategy. While the command relied on the work of the chief digital and artificial intelligence office, it is taking its own approach to the way it governs data. Michael Foster, CENTCOM’s chief data officer, said the strategy will be continuously evolving and adapting over time. The command is using “VAULTIS,” a DoD acronym for data that is visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable and secure as a framework to practically drive their governance processes. Hence, VAULTIS.
(CENTCOM to release its data strategy - Federal News Network)