Michael J. Keegan

For over 100 years, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has helped Congress to improve the performance of government, ensure transparency, and save federal funds. Today, GAO’s work spans all federal programs and spending—from agriculture to space programs, banking regulation to public health, and cybersecurity to international aid. It also does financial audits of the U.S. government and assessments of its fiscal outlook.

Hill Leaders Looking for Near-Term Action on FISMA, FedRAMP Legislation. Two senior House leaders on Federal technology issues said today they are looking for decisive action soon on legislation to update the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and codify and improve the General Services Administration’s Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

High-Risk Series: Key Practices to Successfully Address High-Risk Areas and Remove Them from the List. Every 2 years, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) update our High Risk List of federal programs and operations vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or needing broad reform. Working on the problems GAO flagged has saved more than $626 billion for the government over FYs 2006–2021.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is considered the nation’s premiere IT combat support agency and the trusted provider to connect and protect the warfighter in cyberspace. DISA provides, operates and assures command and control (C2), information-sharing capabilities, and a globally accessible enterprise information network that directly supports DoD and the services. “We have supported and enhanced,” explains Caroline Kuharske, acting chief data officer, “the overall communication infrastructure at a global scale to support the warfighters.

DHS Deputy CDO Emphasizes Data for Evidence-Based Decisions. Carlene Ileto, deputy chief data officer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), explained the agency’s data strategy and data governance approaches at a Feb. 23 virtual event organized by FCW, and emphasized how DHS is aiming to use data for making evidence-based decisions.

Federal CIO Issues Data Call Asking Agencies How They are Using AI. Federal CIO Clare Martorana currently has a data call out to several Federal agencies asking them how they are currently using AI, their current AI use cases, and what AI work they have in production, according to a DHS program manager.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) protects our nation’s borders from terrorism, human and drug smuggling, and illegal migration while simultaneously facilitating the flow of lawful travel and trade. Its mission is vitally important for the protection of the country and the national economy.

Federal Employees Teleworked More During COVID-19, But What Does the Future of Work Look Like? When COVID-19 struck, many offices and businesses allowed their employees to work from home or telework. But what do we know about the challenges telework has presented to federal agencies and staff, and what could the future of telework activities look like?

Today, the nation faces a range of diverse threats and challenges. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security continues to play a leading role in battling the pandemic, securing the border, and implementing our immigration laws, strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity, building greater resilience and preparedness, and so much more. Now the third largest department in the U.S. federal government, DHS meets its mission with an annual budget of $49.8 billion and the dedication of more than 240,000 employees. One of its most important duties is to be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how Americans live. In almost the blink of an eye, the pandemic changed shopping, dining, socializing, travel, and most assuredly the world of work.

Before the pandemic, there had been a slow but steady growth in the number of workers who performed their jobs remotely. Such work arrangements went by various labels, from remote work to distance work to telecommuting or telework. While predictions that much work could be done anywhere arose, the COVID-19 pandemic took remote work to a whole new level as a necessity.