The Fed Mission Success Round Up: GAO Report on Fed Cyber Weakness; DoD to Focus on SMB Acquisition; and New CIOs at FEMA and EEOC

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.

Government Watchdog Warns on Cyber Weakness

The federal government has not yet addressed nearly 150 recommendations previously issued by the Government Accountability Office to help strengthen national cybersecurity, according to a new report. 

Cyberattacks on Energy's National Labs Draw Lawmaker Scrutiny

In the wake of a series of cyberattacks aimed at three Department of Energy, House lawmakers are requesting access to relevant documentation about the hacking incidents.

DoD Instructs Acquisition Teams to Prioritize Small Business Engagement Over Best-in-Class Contracts

The Defense Department is instructing its components to support efforts to expand small business participation in the federal marketplace following the release of its “Small Business Strategy” earlier this month.  

Industry Voices Complaints Over Short Response Window for $60B VA Recompete

The Professional Services Council has relayed industry concerns that the Veterans Affairs Department has given next-to-no time for responses to the draft solicitation for the $60 billion vehicle called T4NG2.

Charles Armstrong Joins FEMA as CIO

FEMA has appointed Charles Armstrong as the agency’s new chief information officer. He has three decades of tech experience in IT operations and management including seven years as CIO of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

EEOC Appoints Pierrette McIntire as CIO

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has named Pierrette McIntire as the agency’s CIO. She has been with the EEOC for over 34 years and most recently served as deputy CIO.

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

• Federal CIO: Accelerating IT Modernization and Customer Experience in 2023 — Makpar

• PODCAST: History of Zero Trust and Government (Part 2) — Makpar

• VIDEO PODCAST: Get Certified – Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Practitioner Certification Tips — Makpar — Makpar

• PODCAST: History of Zero Trust and Government (Part 1) — Makpar

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• ACT-IAC CX Summit: Bringing the Three S’s of Government CX to Life — Makpar

• Makpar Honors National STEM Day with Pledge to Bring More Women Into Government IT 

• PODCAST: Rise of MLOps in the Federal IT Arena

• Makpar Cybersecurity Forum Video Podcast: Insights Into Zero Trust and Government

• Infographic: The Top 5 Government Cybersecurity Fundamentals 

• A Deep-Dive into the HHS Artificial Intelligence Use Cases 

• Honoring National Coding Week: Makpar’s Innovation Lab Code Challenge Win 

• PODCAST: Advancing the Customer Experience (CX) for Government with

• Q&A: Makpar’s Generative Culture with Nickolas Sibley, the Agile Coach & Trainer at Makpar

• Identity and Access Management (IAM) Taking Hold in the Government Arena 

Makpar has over a decade of experience providing high-level strategic and project management services, focused on cybersecurity and cutting-edge technologies. Please contact us here for more information about how we can enhance mission success for your agency.