DHS News 
Top News
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
- Feds outside the Beltway react to furloughs
- Contracting executives guilty of 8(a) program fraud
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- 29-year-old NASA engineer going where no one has gone before
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
- ICE Director John Morton stepping down
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NIH tops list of best companies for baby boomers
- Latest postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery
- IRS official contradicts claims about reviews
- House presses VA for more details after cyber attacks
- DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition
Agency heads finding light at end of fed-bashing tunnel
Some departments are improving personnel practices around recruitment and knowledge management even in the face of pay freezes and criticisms of public servants. DHS created a higher education engagement group to bring in college students. GSA finds quality of applicants still strong. Senior leaders highlight successes during Public Service Recognition Week.
US, China to cooperate more on cyber threat
Asserting that cyberattacks against the U.S. don't come only from China, the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers said they agreed Monday to work together on cyber issues to avoid miscalculations that could lead to future crises.
Suspicious emails target gas pipeline operators
The Department of Homeland Security is urging natural gas pipeline operators to look out for suspicious emails. The agency said they are part of an organized cyber attack that began five months ago.
DoD, DHS officials keep pressure on Congress for new cyber laws
The government is working with a cobbled-together set of authorities and responsibilities when it comes to protecting networks from cyber threats, a top Homeland Security Department cyber official said Wednesday. Congress needs to act soon to update the nation's cybersecurity posture, he said.
Feds rank leadership low in annual survey
The Partnership for Public Service took a closer look at the data from the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and discovered that feds aren't too happy with their leaders. Senior leaders especially received low rankings from federal employees.
Performance improvement has 'turned the corner' in government
Shelley Metzenbaum said agencies are doing a better job in setting outcome-based goals and using data to measure their progress. OPM is finalizing guidance and training to use the competence models for performance improvement positions. Treasury and DHS are setting their own path to using data to meet their mission goals.
Exclusive: State's Toler joins DHS to run network resilience office
Danny Toler becomes the second State Department official to go to the Homeland Security Department's Office of Cybersecurity and Communications since January. He also is the second high ranking official to join DHS in the last week.
Half of federal websites working on mobile strategy
The results of a ForeSee poll also show one-third of the 40 federal websites surveyed already have launched mobile initiatives.
Virtualization & Data Center Consolidation - "Progress & Best Practices"
April 26th at 12pm
Program will discuss the Progress Report on Virtualization & Data Center Consolidation, Key Benefits Associated with Virtualization & DCC, How Does Cloud Computing Get Factored into your Strategy, Major Challenges to Achieving their Goals, Is Security a concern in a Virtualized Environment, and A Future Vision for the next 1 to 3 years
EXCLUSIVE: Energy CIO Locatis heads to DHS
Mike Locatis will become the new assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at DHS's National Protection and Programs Directorate. He replaces Greg Schaffer who left in March.
FedRAMP almost ready to approve first outside security accreditors
GSA, NIST to name the first batch of outside organizations who will test and validate commercial cloud products against baseline security standards in the FedRAMP cloud security program in May. The Joint Authorization Board also will release guidance to industry on how to implement the security requirements in the coming months. FedRAMP still is months from approving its first set of vendors.
White House presses for stricter cyber rules for critical infrastructure
Information sharing is critical but insufficient, White House cyber chief says. Howard Schmidt said the federal government's responsibility is broader than its own systems and that is why any cyber bill needs stronger oversight of critical networks.
Lawmakers model latest cyber bill after DoD information sharing pilot
Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) introduced legislation to make sharing of classified cyber threat information easier between the government and the private sector. The bill builds on DoD's Defense Industrial Base pilot to share data about vulnerabilities. DoD plans to expand the DIB pilot to more than 200 companies in the coming year.
OSC initiative zeroes in on worst vet discriminator - the government
The Office of Personnel Management recently reminded federal agencies that the White House has "zero tolerance" for discriminating against veterans in hiring and promotions. But the federal government is still one of the biggest offenders. Patrick Boulay from the Office of Special Counsel told the Federal Drive about a new pilot program aimed at streamlining the complaint process for veterans in the federal government.
Senate confirms key positions in Commerce, HUD, DHS
The Senate confirmed the positions on Thursday, clearing a backlog of nominees by the Obama administration.
Issa: TSA workers 'doing best they can' with ineffective equipment, methods
The Transportation Security Administration has grown from "the ashes of the Pentagon and the Twin Towers" into a 65,000-employee agency, whose effectiveness is now being called into question by lawmakers.
Three agencies fall short in assessing IT supply chain risks
Gregory Wilshusen, GSA's director of information security issue, discussed a recent report about IT supply chain risks with The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp
Keeping secrets in a post-WikiLeaks world
Kshemendra Paul, Information Sharing Environment's program manager, joined The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp at the Acquisition Excellence Conference in Washington.
GAO: Improvement needed in three TSA screening programs
Stephen Lord, the director of homeland security and justice issues at the Government Accountability Office, testified that TSA still has room for improvement in three of its screening programs. He shared his findings in a House Oversight and Government Committee hearing on Monday and had highlights from his testimony on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.
DoD lacks enough information to stop cyber attacks
The Pentagon still is responding to major cyber attacks on the nation after the fact, the military's top cyber official said Tuesday. It would rather stop them before they succeed.
