The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Biden administration is giving agencies marching orders to make its cyber policy goals a reality.

The White House on Thursday released an implementation plan for its National Cybersecurity Strategy. The plan outlines 65 high-impact initiatives agencies must meet to stay ahead of emerging threats, and sets a timeline to complete those goals.

The plan puts 18 agencies in charge of leading at least one initiative, although much of its goals will require interagency coordination.

Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden said Thursday that the implementation plan is a “living document” that will be updated annually to reflect the federal government’s evolving response to emerging threats.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against former Army financial counselor Caz Craffy Friday, it highlighted a need for financial protection for military families in possibly their most vulnerable moment. Craffy is accused of defrauding Gold Star families with unauthorized trading and higher risk strategies that did not match customers’ investment profiles.

A new amendment to the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would offer protection to military families when working with a Defense Department financial counselor. The amendment would mandate conflict of interest restrictions for DoD financial counselors and require reports to document any conflicts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let me riddle you this: When it comes to government contracting, if you are not a small business, what are you?

The answer, of course, is “other than small.”

Not much of a riddle, except if you are a “medium-sized” business in the $34.1 million to $250 million revenue range (feel free to argue for that end range to be closer to $500 million) over the last year, specifically under NAICS Code 541512 — computer systems design services.

Then the riddle clearly is how to compete in a market that favors small and very large firms.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For nearly 18 months, the United States and its allies have shored up Ukraine with advanced weapons and ammunition. Early on, a policy office deep in the Pentagon coordinated efforts to enlist more than 50 countries to gather up not only weapons, but also medical supplies, ambulances and clothing. Laura Cooper is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, or RUE. For her work in to help Ukraine, she's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program, orchestrated by the non-partisan Partnership for Public Service. She is the lastest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's weekly guests who are Sammies finalists.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In war, the only thing worse than getting there late is running out of ammunition. No one has infinite stockpiles. The drawdown in support of Ukraine has shown the need to boost the surge capacity of the defense industrial base. Now the George Mason University Center for Government Contracting has offered a list of ways to deal with the capacity deficit. To learn more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Jerry McGinn, the center's executive director.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Supply chain interruptions and slowdowns linger as an effect of the pandemic. They make purchasing and acquisition difficult for both the private sector and government. Recently thinkers from IBM Center for the Business of Government, National Academy of Public Administration, and the Chamber of Commerce put their heads together to come up with ways governments can become more resilient on the supply chain front. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin discussed all of this with Dan Chenok from the IBM Center and with Robert Handfield from North Carolina State University.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the wake of a suspected China-linked cyber campaign targeting the unclassified Microsoft cloud-based email accounts of federal agencies and other organizations, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency expects to soon issue an announcement with Microsoft on the availability of critical network logs outside of the company’s premium payment structure.

The development comes as a senior CISA official noted to reporters that federal cyber defenders were able to detect the incident last month because the first agency affected — reportedly the State Department — had access to premium logging capabilities.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The annual Warrior Games bring together wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans in Olympic-style competition. They compete at what are called adaptive sports. Global Consulting Firm Booz Allen participated by bringing human performance and data analytics practitioners. For why, and what they learned, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke [in studio] with Munjeet Singh, the Senior Vice President of Booz Allen's Bright Labs

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.