Department of Homeland Security
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Six years after the Veterans Affairs data breach, civilian agency networks and computers are more secure. Current and former federal officials and cyber experts say from secretaries on down, the threat of a cyber attack and the impact on mission is well understood.
October 24, 2012 -
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the chairman of the House GOP Cybersecurity Task Force, argues that the country's national security cannot afford a stalemate on cyber legislation. His column is part of Federal News Radio's special report, Cybersecurity Rising.
October 24, 2012 -
Federal News Radio polled current and former federal cybersecurity experts for their opinions on what were the most significant cybersecurity accomplishments since 2006 to secure federal networks and improve public- private partnerships. The accomplishments are in no particular order.
October 23, 2012 -
The draft solicitation asks for 15 toolsets and 11 service areas to help agencies implement continuous monitoring as-a-service and to buy sensors. DHS has asked vendors on GSA Schedule 70 to comment on the requirements.
October 22, 2012 -
Recruits in the Federal Air Marshal Service undergo 16 weeks of rigorous training to prepare for their primary duty - helping travelers reach their destinations unharmed. Every three months, air marshals receive refresher training in hand-to-hand defense, physical fitness and threat-scenarios aboard a life-size mockup of a passenger jet. Federal News Radio goes inside a flight simulator for a first-hand look at a training exercise.
October 22, 2012 -
Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano approved the reorganization plan earlier this week. The newly aligned Office of Cybersecurity and Communications expands from three divisions and creates a new performance-management office.
October 19, 2012 -
More than eight years after the White House issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 requiring the issuance of secure identity cards, governmentwide and agency-specific initiatives provide hope the smart cards can be more than "glorified ID cards." NIST and GSA are developing an identity exchange in the cloud. DHS and IRS are putting their cards to use at a local level for both building and computer access.
October 11, 2012 -
Agencies and universities are refining job descriptions, revamping training and education programs and helping industry, academia and government to begin to reach consensus on the makeup of a modern-day cybersecurity workforce. The Office of Personnel Management also has made changes to personnel systems so that job descriptions map to the framework. The plan already has had in impact on cyber education at colleges and universities across the country.
October 08, 2012 -
The Homeland Security Advisory Council Task Force on Cyberskills submitted 11 recommendations to the DHS secretary on how to improve the agency's cyber workforce. The committee said DHS must define the skills needed to protect .gov networks. It also suggested setting testing and certification standards.
October 05, 2012 -
The annual reporting memo gives agencies 57 questions and answers as they prepare their 2012 cybersecurity report.
October 04, 2012 -
Agencies are missing out on billions of dollars in savings by not using strategic-sourcing contracts, particularly when buying services, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The report finds the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Energy spent less than 5 percent of their combined acquisition budgets through strategic sourcing and saved less than $2 billion.
October 04, 2012 -
The agency plans to release solicitations to help agencies implement sensors to detect threats, followed by industry-provided services to analyze them. Congress approved $183 million to begin in 2013 to help get continuous monitoring off the ground more quickly.
September 28, 2012 -
Agency leaders take steps to show they're serious about employee fraud. Too often, they're relying on the inspector general's office to detect corruption.
September 28, 2012 -
The Energy and Homeland Security departments are working with companies in the electricity sector to come up with a baseline set of cybersecurity standards. Michael Daniel, the White House cyber coordinator, said the framework is making a difference in how owners and operators secure their networks. But Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said without liability protections expansion of these efforts isn't likely.
September 27, 2012 -
The agency has chosen to let some acquisition schedules slip, as a solution to constrained budgets. By doing so, CBP increases the likelihood of successful acquisition projects, said an agency executive.
September 24, 2012