Recognizing Public Servants on National Whistleblower Day by OSC

Recognizing Public Servants on National Whistleblower Day by OSC

The General Services Administration (GSA) is set to launch a new GO.gov platform in November, serving as a unified travel management solution for all civilian federal agencies. This move is part of a broader government strategy to modernize identity security systems and protect sensitive citizen and partner data across critical infrastructures.

Recent efforts have seen a focus on advanced certifications, decentralized identities, cloud security partnerships, and phishing-resistant technologies. For instance, 1Kosmos, a company specializing in digital identity security, has obtained both FedRAMP High authorization and Kantara certification, setting a new standard for public sector digital identity security. Their platform supports digital transformation with strong data protection and plans to extend certifications to IL4 for defense customers, enabling agencies to modernize identity verification from basic to comprehensive digital wallets.

The adoption of decentralized identity verification systems utilizing blockchain technology is another growing trend. These systems, based on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) protocols, reduce identity theft and fraud risks by eliminating central data repositories and enabling users to control their personal data autonomously. This approach enhances privacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance, with strong interest from organizations across industries, including government.

Cloud identity infrastructure security is another key focus, with public-private partnerships playing a significant role. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) actively collaborates with top cloud providers and federal agencies, emphasizing best practices like token protection, secrets management, and enhanced logging to detect malicious activity. The goal is to enhance resilience and security of cloud identity systems at scale.

Federal agencies are also advancing phishing-resistant authentication mandates. Descope, a company providing phishing-resistant identity management solutions, has recently achieved FedRAMP High authorization, demonstrating readiness to support federal efforts to modernize citizen and partner authentication aligned with cybersecurity initiatives.

Additional government mandates emphasize comprehensive security plans. For instance, the IRS Security Summit stresses the necessity of written information security plans for tax professionals to safeguard client data, reflecting a broader emphasis on systemic information security policies in government-related sectors.

Meanwhile, the Office of Special Counsel is recognising two federal employees from the Mine Safety and Health Administration with outstanding public servant awards for exposing a lack of mine inspections since 2016. Elsewhere, more than 140 Environmental Protection Agency employees are still on administrative leave, and Senate Democrats are urging their reinstatement.

Congress is also pressing the Defense Department to speed up the adoption of phishing-resistant authentication, with both the House and Senate weighing in on the issue. The Trump administration's new AI action plan focuses on organizing an "American AI stack" to export to countries globally, with a push for high-impact service providers to pilot the use of artificial intelligence.

In a separate development, the US Department of Agriculture plans to move more than half of its DC metro area workforce to five hubs around the country, in contrast to the first Trump administration's attempt to relocate several hundred employees to Kansas City, which was largely unsuccessful. The Department of the Navy is mandating the use of containerization technology in all new cloud-enabled software development efforts as part of the service's broader modernization push.

Lastly, the Federal Trade Commission is receiving $14.6 million from the Technology Modernization Fund Board to modernize its data processing capabilities and improve data analysis for investigations. The Internal Revenue Service is hiring 3,000 contact representative jobs to maintain its current level of phone support for the next filing season.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced several Trump administration nominees, including Sean Plankey to be director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. However, his nomination is being held on the Senate floor by Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden.

[1] Source: https://1kosmos.com/news/1kosmos-achieves-federation-for-identity-management-certification/ [2] Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/06/02/how-decentralized-identity-management-can-solve-the-problems-of-today-and-tomorrow/?sh=65c0d74053e4 [3] Source: https://www.cisa.gov/jcdc [4] Source: https://www.descope.com/news/descope-achieves-federation-risk-and-authorization-management-program-high-authorization/ [5] Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-highlights-need-for-written-information-security-plans-for-tax-professionals

1. The GSA is introducing a new GO.gov platform, serving as a centralized travel management solution for federal agencies, aiming to modernize identity security systems in the government sector.
2. The new platform of 1Kosmos, recently certified through FedRAMP High authorization and Kantara, will offer enhanced digital identity security solutions to federal agencies.
3. 1Kosmos' decentralized identity verification system based on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) protocols will reduce identity theft and fraud risks.
4. Cloud security partnerships and phishing-resistant technologies are being emphasized to protect sensitive data and enhance the resilience of cloud identity systems.
5. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is collaborating with top cloud providers and federal agencies to promote best practices for token protection, secrets management, and enhanced logging.
6. Decentralized identity management systems utilizing blockchain technology are gaining interest from various industries, including government, to enhance privacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance.
7. Federal agencies are advancing phishing-resistant authentication mandates, with Descope, a company providing phishing-resistant identity management solutions, achieving FedRAMP High authorization.
8. IRS Security Summit stresses the importance of written information security plans for tax professionals to safeguard client data, reflecting a broader emphasis on systemic information security policies in government-related sectors.
9. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) employees were honored for exposing a lack of mine inspections since 2016.
10. More than 140 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees remain on administrative leave, with Senate Democrats urging their reinstatement.
11. Congress is urging the Defense Department to expedite phishing-resistant authentication adoption, with both the House and Senate actively concerned about the issue.
12. The Trump administration is focusing on organizing an "American AI stack" for global export, paving the way for high-impact service providers to pilot AI usage.
13. The US Department of Agriculture plans to disperse more than half of its DC metro area workforce to five hubs across the country.
14. The Department of the Navy mandates the use of containerization technology in all new cloud-enabled software development efforts, as part of a broader modernization push.
15. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received $14.6 million from the Technology Modernization Fund Board to upgrade its data processing capabilities and improve data analysis for investigations.
16. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is hiring 3,000 contact representative jobs to sustain its current level of phone support for the next filing season.
17. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved several Trump administration nominees for key roles, including Sean Plankey as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
18. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden is holding back Sean Plankey's nomination for CISA Director on the Senate floor.
19. Some federal initiatives, like the first Trump administration's attempt to relocate several hundred employees to Kansas City, have faced challenges in their implementation.
20. The Defense Department is being pressured to speed up the adoption of phishing-resistant authentication, as it is critical for cybersecurity measures in the federal sector.
21. The Trump administration's new AI action plan focuses on advancing artificial intelligence to improve various sectors in the economy.
22. Security and modernization efforts in the public sector are crucial for maintaining the integrity and accessibility of government services and assets.
23. Efforts to enhance data privacy, support decentralized identity management systems, and combat identity theft have gained significant momentum across the public sector, including federal agencies and commercial industries.
24. The growing emphasis on phishing-resistant authentication, cloud security partnerships, and advanced certifications reflect the increasing importance of cybersecurity in the era of digital transformation.
25. The IRS emphasizes the need for comprehensive security plans to protect sensitive tax information, as part of an expanded focus on systemic information security policies across government-related sectors.
26. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, data and cloud computing, fintech, and automotive will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of government services, business, and lifestyle.
27. The transformation of public-private partnerships, leadership in ventures like commercial real estate and venture capital, and focus on entrepreneurship and small businesses will lead to sustainable living and comprehensive wealth management solutions for citizens and partners.

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