The Fed Mission Success Round Up: Cybersecurity, Acquisition, Modernization, and More in Federal Agencies

Weekly News Round Up
Written By Fareeha Khan

Welcome to the Fed Mission Success News Round Up brought to you by Makpar. Each week, we will provide a summary of actionable news and insights to help aid in overall mission success for Federal agency IT decision-makers and influencers.

Cyber Safety Review Board Will Start with Log4 Report

The new Cyber Safety Review Board is gearing up to host its first-ever meeting, bringing together 15 cybersecurity experts across the public and private sectors to create new recommendations that bolster national cybersecurity in the wake of the Log4j software vulnerability.

U.S. Companies Warned to Prepare for Russian Cyberattacks

U.S. companies, particularly in the defense industry, should be prepared for an increase in cyberattacks aimed at stealing data or disrupting operations as a result of new aggressive Russian activity aimed at Ukraine, a top Department of Justice official said on Thursday. The remarks come one day after a new alert from the FBI, National Security Agency, and the Computer Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, warning that Russian hackers had hit defense contractors and were likely to continue their attempts.

Agencies Underscore Software Vulnerabilities in Supply Chain Assessments

Several Cabinet agencies published reports citing the current software ecosystem as a key weakness across supply chains crucial to U.S. economic prosperity and national security.

FBI Cancels Agile BPA

The FBI canceled plans last week for a multiaward blanket purchase agreement covering the acquisition of agile development expertise after months of market research. 

FAR Proposal Looks to Implement Key Small Business Regulatory Changes

A proposed rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) would officially implement several significant changes to Small Business Administration regulations setting certain small business size standards and expanding grounds for protests in awards made to companies by socioeconomic status.

IRS Will Pivot to GSA's Login.Gov After This Tax Season

The tax agency is modifying its use of the ID.me identity proofing service for the current tax season but plans to switch to the Federal government's homegrown solution after the 2022 filing deadline. 

IRS Is Deploying Mandatory Overtime and Reassignments to Address Its Backlog. Democrats Want More

The IRS has entered the 2022 tax season with an unprecedented number of unresolved cases.

Upcoming Department of Energy Playbook Aims to Guide Innovation 'in Big Ways'

Scalability is at the heart of the Department of Energy’s modernization playbook, a forthcoming publication that agency leadership hopes will be adopted by other public organizations as they work to overhaul the government’s technological infrastructure.

FDA Made Improving Diagnostic Test Data the Focus of Its Pandemic Response

Improving the use of diagnostic test data to inform public health decision-making was the “primary focus” of the Food and Drug Administration’s pandemic response, according to the agency’s chief medical officer for in vitro diagnostics.

From the Makpar Blog …

In case you missed it, here are our latest blog posts:

Fareeha Khan
Previous

Employee Appreciation Day 2022! Thank you to our folks!
Next

How to Win a Code Challenge