OMB seeks comments on FISMA metrics

GPS glitch hit some military systems in January.

Cybersecurity Update – Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris (6-10 a.m.) and The DorobekInsider with Chris Dorobek (3-7 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

  • The Office of Management and Budget wants to know how much money your agency is spending today and will spend in the future on cybersecurity. These new questions could be a part of the upcoming update to the A-11 guidance. A government source tells Federal News Radio agencies are reviewing and commenting on the guidance. Recent projections pegged cybersecurity spending for 2009 at $7.3 billion dollars. The White House also requested $3.6 billion for the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.
  • The demand for cybersecurity is growing and the marketplace is responding, but not always in the most effective ways. At a recent summit, federal executives and industry leaders met to talk about contracting and R&D opportunities. CEO of CyberSecurity Seminars, Tom Billington, told the Federal Drive about three major points to come out of the summit: if you’re selling, “lead with the business need”. The second point was that, on the federal side, a “cyber investment model” is on the wishlist of buyers. And the third point is that cybersecurity is an issue likely to last a lifetime. For more on the “Cybersecurity Contracting and R&D Opportunities Summit” and to hear Federal News Radio’s interview with Billington, click here.
  • Imagine trying to drive around an unfamiliar town with your GPS on the fritz. Now, imagine a similar GPS glitch affecting some of the equipment the military uses to protect our shores. The Air Force says a software problem led to the issue that messed up the military GPS network. And that left some defense systems unable to lock onto locator signals from satellites. This all happened back in January – and the Air Force says the problem has since been fixed. The military branch isn’t saying how many weapons or other systems were affected. The military’s GPS uses an array of 24 satellites beaming down signals that can be used to pinpoint the receiver’s location. GPS is used in everything from handheld units for hikers and dashboard models for civilian drivers to military aircraft and artillery shells.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.