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

Weekly News Round Up
Written By Elle Newman

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. 

 

White House Official: EPA to Issue Cybersecurity Rule for Water Facilities 

The Environmental Protection Agency will soon include cybersecurity in sanitation reviews it conducts of the nation’s critical water facilities, under a new rule. 

 

FITARA has Helped Agencies Save $24.8B on Federal IT Projects: GAO Leader 

The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act has helped Federal agencies save a total of $24.8 billion on IT projects. The legislation — and the issuance of biannual scorecards — had ensured agencies used IT portfolio management tool PortfolioStat to achieve best possible value for taxpayers. 

 

Watchdog Calls on US Courts To Establish IT Workforce Recruiting Strategy   

The Government Accountability Office in a new report has called on the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to create an IT workforce recruitment strategy. 

 

VA Touts Improvements but Warns of Challenges for Digital GI Bill Platform 

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ modernization efforts for its education benefits delivery system have led to improvements and faster delivery times, despite challenges due to reliance on legacy IT systems. 

 

Prolific Crypto Market Demands Regulation, Investor Education, Experts Say 

Improved investor education and better regulation are two vital steps experts want to implement in the digital currency marketplace, as the government broadly looks to protect consumers buying and selling within the risky asset class. 

 

FITARA 14 Sees Just One Overall A and Stagnant Grades 

Only one agency of the 24 featured in the latest FITARA scorecard earned an overall "A" grade since the last scores were released in December 2021. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) received its top marks with "A" grades across a majority of scorecard categories, including agency CIO authority enhancements, transparency and risk management, portfolio review savings and transition off Networx. Eight agencies saw their scores decrease, while 15 remained unchanged. 

 

Preventing Wildfires Could Start with Data from Controlled Burns 

To help natural resources managers better detect and mitigate wildfires, researchers developed a platform that combines edge sensors with machine learning to provide on-the-spot detection, monitoring and analysis of a burning area. 

 

The Biden Administration Unveils a Website to Help Combat Extreme Heat Conditions 

The new website, known as Heat.gov, is designed to serve as an interagency hub for the distribution of federal resources, data and tools related to extreme heat. Heat.gov was launched by the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, or NIHHIS, a collaboration of federal agencies that includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others. 

 

From the Makpar Blog … 

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Elle Newman
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