Weekly Roundup: April 1-5, 2024

OMB’s new guidance, RFI boost grant modernization efforts. The long-awaited and much-anticipated update to the basic management standards for the federal grants community is out. The Office of Management and Budget’s 2024 Revisions of the Uniform Grants Guidance aim to streamline, simplify and expand the overall reach of the $1.2 trillion in grants and cooperative assistance agencies pay out each year.  

Working on hiring tools to help agencies compete for AI talent. The Office of Management and Budget, after finalizing its governmentwide policy on AI use, said that it plans to hire 100 AI professionals into the federal workforce by this summer. The administration, as part of this AI “talent surge,” is ensuring agencies have the tools they need to recruit and retain AI professionals. 

Pentagon Tracking to Meet 2027 Zero Trust Goal. The Department of Defense (DoD) is on track to meet its 2027 zero trust cybersecurity framework goal, top Pentagon officials said this week. In 2022, DoD released its zero trust strategy and roadmap outlining how the agency plans to fully implement a department-wide zero trust cybersecurity framework by fiscal year (FY) 2027. Since then, the department has been on a laser-focused path to reach its 2027 zero trust goal, said David McKeown, DoD deputy chief information officer, during a virtual two-day Zero Trust Symposium hosted by the Defense Acquisition University.

DeRusha Credits Quick SASE ‘Flip’ to Meet Ivanti Vulnerability. Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Chris DeRusha gave broad credit today to federal agencies for making marked improvements in cybersecurity over the past few years, and cited the ability of one larger agency – which he did not name – with being able to take particularly quick action in the face of the Ivanti vulnerabilities that the government began warning about in January.

DoD, VA Detail Digital Financial Management Progress.  The Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) are at various stages of modernizing financial management processes but face similar challenges with legacy systems and data compatibility. Edward Murray, the principal deputy assistant secretary for management at the VA, said agency officials are continuing to carry out the agency’s large-scale financial system modernization program, while trying to maintain VA’s consecutive clean audit record.

State’s Fletcher: AI, Governance, Network Top Priorities to Boost Cyber, CX. The head of the State Department’s IT and cybersecurity efforts said today that it is her top priority to “improve user experience while making cybersecurity more robust.” The department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) Kelly Fletcher said to accomplish this goal, her team is actively working in “three big categories”: artificial intelligence, governance, and network.

HHS Unveils Draft Federal Health IT Strategy, Seeks Comments. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) – released its draft 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for public comment.