The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Because cyber threats ceaselessly change, so do the protective measures agencies need to take. Cybersecurity guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) never stay static either. In fact, NIST is updating its guidelines in a crucial document known as special publication 800-171. Written help organizations protect sensitive, unclassified information. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with NIST fellow Ron Ross.

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

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An independent agency created to fast-track the sale of excess federal properties is falling behind on its goals envisioned more than six years ago, and is running into many of the bureaucratic hurdles it was meant to bypass.

The Public Buildings Reform Board, created under the 2016 Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA). recommended in January 2020 that the General Services Administration sell a dozen “high-value,” but underutilized federal properties.

GSA sold 10 of those properties for $194 million, well below the board’s sales target of $500-$700 million, according to reports from the Government Accountability Office.

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Not enough new entrants. A lack of accountability. Too many modifications to existing contracts and not enough new awards. The Veterans Affairs Department got an earful from House lawmakers last month over its IT contracting habits.

The trends highlighted by the Government Accountability Office and House Veterans Affairs Committee members were not necessarily surprising to VA officials, but nonetheless worrisome.

To that end, VA is changing the way it manages and works with contractors.

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

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The Securities and Exchange Commission is contemplating comments to a proposed rule on cybersecurity of financial services companies. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who specializes in quantifying risks, and wonders whether the proposed rules will actually help. Saket Modi is Co-Founder and CEO of Safe Security, a global leader in cybersecurity and digital business risk quantification.

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The population of the nation's veterans has steadily grown more diverse -- with respect to race and ethnic background -- over the decades. And there are more women than ever. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with a woman who has done yeoman's service to help the Veterans Health Administration not allow underserved and vulnerable veteran populations slip through the cracks. Dr. Donna Washington is the recipient of a recent VA secretary's research award, and she's a staff physician in the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

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Last year the federal government deputed a three-digit suicide prevention hotline phone number. 988. It replaced a 10-digit number. The new number is thanks to the work of a team at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Team members are now finalists in this year's Service to America Medals Program. Two of the finalists, James Wright and Dr. Richard McKeon joined the Federal Drive to tell their story.

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While the federal contracting world was worrying about a giant but slow-moving contractor cybersecurity requirement from the Defense Department, Veterans Affairs went ahead with a doozy of its own. Five months later, the Federal Drive checked in on how it's going with Holland and Knight partner Eric Crucius.

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While the politicians debate how much money it should have, the IRS cranked dutifully away this past tax filing season. The agency says it operated on schedule for the first time since 2020, the advent of the pandemic. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration tracked the season closely. With what it found, the deputy IG for audit, Diana Tengesdal.

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