Page 10 - FCW, September 15, 2017
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Unclassified
ICITE on the
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The intelligence community’s unified cloud-based computing platform will soon become more broadly accessible and might have unclassified applica- tions in the future, according to the top technology official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Jennifer Kron, ODNI’s acting CIO for the intelligence community, said officials are working on a “mul- tifabric initiative” to identify what unclassified services could be offered through the Intelligence Community IT Enterprise project. She made the comments at a Defense Intelligence Agency conference.
She also announced that a version of the CIA’s private Amazon cloud sys- tem will launch in November for users with a secret clearance. The system is currently limited to users with the higher top secret/sensitive compart- mented information clearance. In addition, Kron said she would like to see ICITE services made available to more users who are based outside the Washington area.
ICITE was launched in 2012 under the leadership of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as a way of centraliz- ing IT spending to save money while developing a more secure, interoper- able computing environment for the intelligence community.
Kron said that although the intelli- gence community is doing a better job of sharing data, there is much work to be done before ICITE’s ambitious goals become a reality.
“While we’re increasingly thinking as one enterprise, it’s still difficult for us to actually operate that way,” she added. “And that’s something that’s going to take awhile.”
— Ben Berliner
20M+ public comments have been submitted to the FCC regarding net-neutrality rules
DOT watchdog finds flaws in cyber working capital spending
An audit by the Transportation Department’s inspector general found errors in recordkeeping and inadequate technical planning related to a one-time $30 million cybersecurity working capital fund at the agency.
The department’s Office of the CIO asked for a $30 million appropriation in 2011 to close the agency’s most serious cybersecurity gaps. The office received $29 million from fiscal 2012 to 2015 for the project, and the money was distributed through a working capital fund.
An audit released on Aug. 7 by the agency’s IG, however, found that although DOT applied the funds strictly to the problem it set out to solve, it did not spend all the money effectively. Auditors also concluded that the agency did not adequately plan for its cybersecurity funding needs.
The IG said $285,352 of $3.73 million in cybersecurity funds expended through the fund paid for services outside the period of performance and scope of work outlined in the CIO office’s
cybersecurity intra-agency agreements. That kind of error makes it difficult for the office to ensure accuracy in customer agreements, the report states.
DOT officials took issue with the IG’s conclusion that the cybersecurity appropriation did not meet reporting thresholds as a major stand-alone IT investment under Office of Management and Budget standards. The IG argued, however, that cybersecurity assets are a critical part of the agency’s capabilities, and as such, they require more effective planning and management controls.
Under the Modernizing Government Technology Act, which is making its way through Congress, 24 agencies could get multiyear revolving funds like the one-time fund DOT received. The bill would also require agency officials to report twice a year on IT inventory and submit a summary of expenditures, said Mike Hettinger, a former senior House aide who now lobbies on behalf of IT vendors.
— Mark Rockwell
NGA
@NGA_GEOINT
We are looking to integrate, innovate and accelerate -- NGA cyber chief on the agency’s goals. #FCWcyber
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