DHS News 
Top News
- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- BRAC-like commission proposed to hunt down government cost savings
- Sequestration claims another conference: DHS's GFirst cyber event
- Postal Service closing Capitol Hill post offices in 'symbolic' move
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- Fed pens new furlough song
- Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
Draft order would give companies cyberthreat info
The White House issued a seven-page executive order Saturday directing U.S. spy agencies to share intelligence about cyberthreats with companies operating electric grids, water plants, railroads and other vital industries. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the military was prepared to retaliate if the U.S. is attacked by cyberweapons.
44 TSA workers at Newark face firing or suspension
The Transportation Security Administration on Friday moved to fire 25 employees at Newark Liberty International Airport and suspend 19 others for what it said was improper screening of checked luggage, the latest in a series of problems at one of the country's busiest airports.
DHS realigns cyber office into five divisions
Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano approved the reorganization plan earlier this week. The newly aligned Office of Cybersecurity and Communications expands from three divisions and creates a new performance-management office.
GOP lawmakers urge Obama to drop cyber executive order
Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate wrote to President Barack Obama urging him to not issue an executive order setting voluntary cybersecurity standards for private-sector operators of critical infrastructure.
Agencies finally figuring out how HSPD-12 cards can improve security
More than eight years after the White House issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 requiring the issuance of secure identity cards, governmentwide and agency-specific initiatives provide hope the smart cards can be more than "glorified ID cards." NIST and GSA are developing an identity exchange in the cloud. DHS and IRS are putting their cards to use at a local level for both building and computer access.
FBI: Friendly fire likely in border shootings
A preliminary investigation has found friendly fire likely was to blame in a shooting that killed one federal agent and wounded another along the Arizona-Mexico border, the FBI said Friday.
DHS urged to hire 600 cyber ninjas
The Homeland Security Advisory Council Task Force on Cyberskills submitted 11 recommendations to the DHS secretary on how to improve the agency's cyber workforce. The committee said DHS must define the skills needed to protect .gov networks. It also suggested setting testing and certification standards.
Agencies ignoring billions in savings from strategic sourcing
Agencies are missing out on billions of dollars in savings by not using strategic-sourcing contracts, particularly when buying services, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The report finds the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Energy spent less than 5 percent of their combined acquisition budgets through strategic sourcing and saved less than $2 billion.
Lawmakers divided on counterterror effort
Stinging criticism from Congress about a counterterrorism effort that improperly collected information about innocent Americans is turning up the heat on the Obama administration to justify the program's continued existence and putting lawmakers who championed it on the defensive.
Funding boost gives DHS a head start in 2013 to fight cyber threats
The agency plans to release solicitations to help agencies implement sensors to detect threats, followed by industry-provided services to analyze them. Congress approved $183 million to begin in 2013 to help get continuous monitoring off the ground more quickly.
IGs tell managers, employees to beef up fight against workplace fraud
Agency leaders take steps to show they're serious about employee fraud. Too often, they're relying on the inspector general's office to detect corruption.
White House testing approach called for in draft cyber order
The Energy and Homeland Security departments are working with companies in the electricity sector to come up with a baseline set of cybersecurity standards. Michael Daniel, the White House cyber coordinator, said the framework is making a difference in how owners and operators secure their networks. But Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said without liability protections expansion of these efforts isn't likely.
Budget pressures lead to missed contracting deadlines for CBP
The agency has chosen to let some acquisition schedules slip, as a solution to constrained budgets. By doing so, CBP increases the likelihood of successful acquisition projects, said an agency executive.
DHS cultivates cyber workforce, tools
The agency is changing its approach to the Einstein tool to keep up with the changing technology. Mark Weatherford, under secretary for cybersecurity, said on Agency of the Month that DHS is helping agencies be more proactive in defending their networks. He isn't worried about the turnover in his office.
Napolitano: President close to finalizing executive order on cyber
Napolitano said there were a few outstanding issues and President Barack Obama has not yet reviewed the document.
GAO says mobile malware attacks have tripled in less than a year
The Government Accountability Office said reports of malware targeting mobile devices have nearly tripled in less than a year.
Planning, performance measures put DHS on solid financial footing
Peggy Sherry, the agency's CFO, said when budget cuts do come they are prepared. DHS has been finding efficiencies in its spending and asked components to think hard about how they spend their money.
Agencies, colleges share top recruiting tips in tight budget times
Tighter budgets are impacting agencies' ability to recruit new employees, according to the results of an exclusive Federal News Radio survey. But while budget dollars may be dwindling, agencies still need new hires to fill vacancies caused by retirements and others leaving civil service. Federal recruiters and college advisers say there are certain cost-effective and innovative techniques that work better than others when it comes to finding the next generation of federal employees.
Agencies doing job they already paid FPS to do
A new Government Accountability Office report says the Federal Protective Service isn't doing enough to safeguard more than 9,000 federal buildings.
DHS surfing the retirement wave, turns focus to leadership, morale
Catherine Emerson, the agency's chief human capital officer, said the annual turnover rate is only 1.35 percent for its 240,000 employees. She said new programs, called Cornerstone and Capstone, are trying to ensure employees have the leadership training necessary for the future. The Coast Guard also is increasing employee engagement as it prepares to move into its new headquarters at St. Elizabeth's in Washington.
