Panetta's request is falling on highly skeptical ears. A bipartisan group of two dozen representatives sent Panetta a tough letter.
Two years after U.S. Cyber Command became operational, the military services that provide its cyber forces are beginning to more tightly define their respective responsibilities in the joint cyber environment. Gen. Keith Alexander issued a memo recently giving each of the services a lead cyber role for specific geographic areas of the world.
Panelists are former Energy CFO Owen Barwell and Treasury Department's Nani Coloretti.
Pentagon hiring freeze for civilian employees will last several more years, although Defense Department leaders say they'll grant exemptions to give the department flexibility.
Legislation forcing the White House to explain how the across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration will affect individual agencies is now waiting for President Barack Obama's signature. The Senate unanimously approved the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 Wednesday, which requires the administration to detail within 30 days how the $1.2 trillion over 10 years in automatic cuts will be applied. The House passed its version of the bill last week in a 414-2 vote.
Senate Bill 3285 would grant Russia permanent normal trade status, requiring the U.S. to provide Russia with tariff and trade treatment that's no less beneficial than what the U.S. applies to any other country with the same status.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the furloughs would address tighter budgets caused by sequestration. He also discussed other possible effects, including reductions in contracting. Wednesday's hearing represented the first time members of Congress have closely examined the effects across-the-board spending cuts could have on civilian agencies.
The secretaries of the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs testified about how the two agencies are collaborating to make it easier for military members to return to civilian life. Members of the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs House committees questioned them about various programs designed to help the process.
The Modified Infrastructure Survey Tool does not provide information about the consequences of security incidents at federal facilities, a GAO auditor said. As a result, agencies cannot effectively deploy countermeasures. Still, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) said he was happy with FPS' progress in developing MIST.
In a report from the Heritage Foundation, analyst Paul Rosenzweig said the bill still is intrusive, provides little liability protection for private owners and the proposed incentives would make the standards mandatory, not voluntary as lawmakers have claimed.
Thanks to the 800-pound gorilla in the room, both federal workers and retirees may suffer a cut in take-home pay next year, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Rob Strayer of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Homeland Security Project says the revised cybersecurity bill introduced in the Senate last week makes it voluntary for companies to comply with cybsecurity performance standards.
After a year-long study, the Association of Government Accountants issued a report suggesting a dozen changes and steps that would improve how the U.S. Treasury Department tracks government-wide revenue, spending and the federal deficit.
Walter Shaub Jr. said the STOCK Act could cause unintended consequences for federal employees' privacy and safety. Shaub said he favors revisions aimed at striking a balance between the need to protect personal information and the law's requirement to disclose stock trades.
Victims need to speak up and report cyber attacks. That's the message from the Bipartisan Policy Center and top security officials, who say only a fraction of attacks are reported each year.