Establishing a data-driven government, Federal officials suggested today, requires recognizing data management as a team sport, putting change “champions” into positions of responsibility, and educating the workforce to realize the value of the day they are collecting. […]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic brought new attention to the need for a “faster path to maturing data sharing protocols,” government leaders must look ahead to how data can continue to inform decision making as capabilities mature and improve, Deputy Federal CIO Maria Roat said today. […]

While the majority of Federal agencies are meeting completeness, timeliness, and accuracy benchmarks for Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act) reporting, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that compliance with the legislation still varies across agencies. […]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its final Data Strategy – on the heels of its final Cloud Strategy – to most effectively accelerate data use across the agency. […]

The ability to generate new value through collaborative sharing and analysis of ever-growing data streams represents one of the holy grails of IT modernization. Now that government and private organizations are investing in the requisite infrastructure to make the data-driven future possible, what are the remaining challenges? […]

In selecting which exempt organization returns to examine, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should start using data and document the measurable objectives in using it to reduce errors and incomplete procedures. […]

While data management is becoming more intertwined with tech initiatives, two data officials at the May 27 Federal Data Strategy Conference said that communication and collaboration between chief data officers and other offices within Federal agencies are keys to their success. […]

As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) activates its “fourth mission” duties to provide lifesaving aid during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Chief Data Officer Kshemendra Paul said at a May 27 Federal Data Strategy Conference that scaling telemedicine has been a “huge success story” of the agency’s capabilities. […]

The U.S. Air Force admitted in a May 20 request for information (RFI) that the agency lacks an Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Program (E-DLP) to protect sensitive information, but is now seeking a new approach to data protection with a proof of concept for an E-DLP at one of its bases. […]

A Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) national recruiter exposed sensitive information including locations, phone numbers, and emails of more than 1,300 American University students following a virtual job fair on May 15. […]

Ransomware accounted for 61 percent of malware-based data breach incidents over most of 2019, according to the Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, reflecting that financial gains are the top motivator for three-quarters of threat actors. […]

A cyber intrusion that occurred at the U.S. Marshals Service in December 2019 exposed 387,000 individuals’ names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers to attackers, an agency spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk yesterday. […]

In a two-week period during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Small Business Administration (SBA) processed more total loans than it had in 14 years, according to Melvin Brown II, director of the Enterprise Business Management Office within the agency’s CIO Office.  At the May 13 FCW Workshop on Data and Analytics, Brown shared the data management tips that helped the agency succeed. […]

Federal CIO Suzette Kent provided several examples today of different ways that Federal agencies are using data in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, and emphasized the critical importance of IT modernization in battling the pandemic. […]

Gulam Shakir, chief data officer of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), shared his views on the changing data landscape at the April 28 FedInsider Safeguarding Data Through Backup and Recovery webinar. […]

Before the Department of Defense (DoD) can fully embrace new artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is doing the behind-the-scenes data prep to get workers and defense technology ready for the transition. […]

A month deep into the coronavirus pandemic, the problem isn’t finding news on the COVID-19 virus and its impacts, it’s finding too much of it – and having to sort it all out to discern the bottom-line impacts. […]

Dimitri Kusnezov, deputy undersecretary for artificial intelligence (AI) and technology at the Department of Energy (DoE), revealed that the department relies on data workflows to make high-risk and mission critical decisions. […]

A Federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Charles Edwards, former acting inspector general (IG) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), today on 16 charges, including theft of “sensitive government databases containing personal identifying information (PII)” of DHS and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees. […]

The European Union (EU) released a white paper on artificial intelligence (AI) and its continentwide data strategy Feb. 19 in an effort to position itself as the “global leader of digital transformation.” […]

In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would be able to improve and diversify its workforce through improved data collection and analysis capabilities. […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) released two draft guides on data management and protection in the wake of cyberthreats. […]

Access to valuable data and the transition to cloud infrastructure could help the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) access life-saving procedures for patients across the country, according to a presentation by HHS CIO José Arrieta at FCW Workshop: Health IT on Dec. 4. […]

Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Margaret Weichert praised the value of data management and public-private partnerships to improve Federal government service delivery at ACT-IAC’s Data Driven Decision-Making Forum on Nov. 22. […]

Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., a co-chair of the House Cybersecurity Caucus and one of the few widely acknowledged experts in Congress on cybersecurity, said on Nov. 14 that a lack of data “baselines” on security issues continues to hamper efforts in Congress – and the nation as a whole – to improve security. […]

Two Federal Trade Commissioners – one a Republican and the other a Democrat – agreed on Oct. 28 that the agency has the tricky task of balancing both consumer data privacy and business interests, and must find that balance even as the fast pace of technological advancement makes the value of prescriptive regulation uncertain.  […]

With the upcoming release of the Federal Data Strategy’s final action plan on the horizon, Federal chief data officers (CDOs) agreed on Sept. 25 that the strategy holds plenty of promising features to advance their work, including an official CDO council that will help them share ideas and experiences. […]

Although extensive national dialogue over data privacy legislation have yet to yield a tangible Federal policy, data privacy experts who have worked with lawmakers provided insight at the Brookings Institution on Sept. 16 about the evolving nature of data privacy concerns in the country, as well as further challenges and policy areas a Federal law will have to address. […]

The intelligence community (IC) is establishing a hub in Washington and is encouraging industry and Federal partner collaboration in developing its data-analyzing artificial intelligence (AI) strategy known as the Augmenting Intelligence Using Machines (AIM) Initiative, IC Chief Data Officer Nancy Morgan said today. […]

The U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) is seeking an online resource for its McDermott Library that will combine military, global security, and armed conflicts data, according to a solicitation released today. […]